Tim,
My view is both abroad (I currently teach in China) and at home. With respect to China, I can only comment about my school about where I'm working, but suffice to say that texts are challenges. Ironically when compared to local schools, I am teaching in a very wealthy environment, so your comments about books is understood. At "home", I find that there is an increasing disparity between school districts, but this is especially true in aboriginal communities which aren't necessarily that different from non-aboriginal communities in rural and northern areas of Canada.
Jim