Applying for verification is a little work requires filling out an application. So is it worth it? What's in it for teachers?

The most important benefit for teacher verification is having access to textbook solutions. This is why we take so much care to ensure only actual teachers become verified. Regrettably, this means some actual teachers don't gain access, though we will spend a lot of time working with a teacher since sometimes verification is harder (e.g. if the teacher is not yet listed on a faculty page).

The second benefit that we only entrust with verified teachers is the option to invite other teachers. This is important, since inviting another teacher will auto-verify that teacher upon registration. If you find our resources helpful, then by inviting other teachers you know, you can help them get easy access to these same benefits without the need to formally apply for verification. This also saves our staff time, allowing us to build more resources!

The last major benefit of verification is being able to request a free copy of an OpenIntro textbook. Our goal is to provide better service than traditional publishers, and as part of that, we want to help get our book into more teachers' hands.

The best option is to provide a link to a faculty page that shows you are an instructor and that also lists your email address. Even if you registered with another email address, we can still complete the process with this information; it will just require an extra step on your part -- replying to a verification email sent to the email listed on the faculty page.

If (1) you have recently moved schools, (2) your previous email address is listed on a faculty page, and (3) you still have access to that email address (or get messages forwarded to your new address), we can use your previous email address for verification. When you register, you can (and should!) still use your new email address, and then when you fill out the verification application, just use the URL from your previous position and let us know to look for you on there. We'll just follow-up with a short confirmation email to your old address.

If you have a fellow teacher who is already verified, then the easiest way to get verified is to ask them to invite you to openintro.org. When they are logged in, they'll see an extra option under the Essentials section of the Teachers page where they can invite a fellow teacher. It's even okay if you've already registered; in that case, your account will become verified when the teacher invites you.

Another common option for completing verification is by having a fellow teacher vouch for you. For example, if you are new to a school, maybe you're not yet listed on the faculty page. In that case, another teacher in the department who is listed on the faculty page can vouch for you. If you want to go this route, just send us the name of the person who can vouch for you along with a link to the faculty page.

There's another option for high school teachers: teachers who register using an email address ending with k12.ca.us, k12.ky.us, or some other official K12 state variant can often be verified even without having a faculty page. If this is the option that fits your case, just go up for verification; it's likely your application will be approved without any special requests.