As far as I know (and I am no expert), textbook publishers tend to make 2 versions of texts, a “Texas” version and a “California” version, as these are the two largest buyers of books – they get to choose what the rest of the country more-or-less sees. Luckily California has a better track record than TX.

Many more than two, actually. There are at least a couple of dozen states that have their own editions of some or all textbooks. But you’re correct that California and Texas are the two biggies. California, because it’s the largest buyer of school textbooks overall. But Texas is even more important to publishers because, unlike California, Texas buys the same textbooks for every school in the state. Basically, one textbook publisher is selected for (for example) high school chemistry, and then every school system in Texas buys that one book. The approved list is updated, IIRC, every three years, so a publisher that’s shut out in Texas on this go-round isn’t going to sell any textbooks in Texas for three years. So publishers are even more careful to meet Texas standards than they are to meet California standards.

Other states (such as North Carolina, where I live) have their own standards, which textbook publishers must meet if they expect to sell any books to public schools in that state. But those standards typically require only minor tweaking to meet, so the North Carolina or Ohio or Arizona edition isn’t likely to differ much from the Califoria edition. And, of course, different school systems within the state can choose books from different publishers, so a publisher that’s shut out by one school system can still sell to many others within the state.

I would like to correct you on your comment to “put Texas and Turkey in the same category.” Turkey was founded on a clearly secular basis and the secularists have been far more active in defending that fact than we Americans have. Though a purportedly moderate religious party came to power in 2007, an openly secular party still managed second place whereas leaders from both of our main parties must openly express their faith to have a chance at national office.

You’re correct that Greg chose a particularly bad example here. From what my Turkish friends tell me, Turkish civil society leans Islamic, but since the time of Kemal Atatürk the military has always been and continues to be secular. The civil authorities understand that the military will not tolerate religious rule, and so are constrained in terms of how far they can push Sharia law and other aspects of Islam.

If that is made clear to the publishers, perhaps they’ll at least preserve a line of textbooks suitable for the rest of the nation

As far as I know (and I am no expert), textbook publishers tend to make 2 versions of texts, a “Texas” version and a “California” version, as these are the two largest buyers of books – they get to choose what the rest of the country more-or-less sees. Luckily California has a better track record than TX.

Sure, they want to publish and sell books to Texas schools, but the rest of us don’t have to buy them.

If automakers can have “California models” then publishers should be able to print “Texas editions.” Just dust off some of the ones they printed back in the 1920s and away they go.

Or not. The 1920s editions might be a bit radical for Texas. It might be safer to use something from before 1859.