Date: August 15, 2005
Dear Publisher of Instructional Materials:
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS MARKETING PRACTICES
This letter is to remind you of the requirements in California Education Code (EC) related to publisher’s marketing practices. Providing free trip or meals, paying for golf fees, or offering any other thing of value to school personnel are some of the practices prohibited by EC Section 60071, which states:
No publisher or manufacturer of instructional materials, nor any of his representatives, shall offer or give any emolument, money or other valuable thing, or any inducement, to any school official to directly or indirectly introduce, recommend, vote for, or otherwise influence the adoption or purchase of any instructional material.
This prohibition applies to all publishers of instructional materials, not just to publishers with materials on a state adoption list. Moreover, the prohibition is broadly conceived, applying to any inducement to directly or indirectly influence the adoption or purchase of instructional materials.
Please inform all of your executive staff and sales representatives of these requirements to ensure compliance. We are also sending a reminder letter to all local education agencies in California. We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to these statutory requirements and consistently following ethical practices.
If you have any questions on this subject, please contact Thomas Adams, Director, Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division, at 916-319-0663, or by e-mail at tadams@cde.ca.gov.
Sincerely,
Original signed by:
Sue Stickel, Deputy Superintendent
Curriculum and Instruction Branch
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814