CMCSS board hears first reading of textbook adoption after extensive local review

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) board received a first reading Tuesday of recommended textbook adoptions for K–12 courses, with district staff saying the materials were vetted at the state level and reviewed locally by teachers, administrators, parents and community members.

Chief Academic Officer Dr. Shannon Dowdy told the board that the district received "over 1,200 pieces of feedback" on candidates before bringing recommendations forward and that Tennessee had not adopted science textbooks since 2018. The first reading means no formal vote was taken.

The recommendations include selections by grade level and subject; Dowdy said the teacher committees examined multiple textbook options in elementary and middle grades and most entry-level high-school subjects. She said some advanced high-school courses — for example, AP-level subjects — sometimes had only a single available publisher, so fewer choices were available for those courses.

Board members asked procedural questions about format and selection. Board member Mr. Mabry asked whether the recommended materials were physical books or digital; Dowdy said the recommendation was "always physical books" but that format can depend on what the teacher committees recommended. Board member Mr. Nelson asked whether committees reviewed multiple books; Dowdy replied they did for most subjects, with the exception of some high-school AP-level texts where only one publisher produced a comprehensive option.

Because this was a first reading, staff said the next steps are to complete the review cycle, finalize purchases and plan teacher training so materials can be used in classrooms in the coming school year.

District staff did not present a timeline for final board action or the total purchase cost during the first reading.

The board will consider the item again in a future meeting where a formal adoption vote would be scheduled.