diff --git a/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee b/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee
index 1d2134c0a5..6212c46e02 100644
--- a/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee
+++ b/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ describe "CMS.Models.Textbook input/output", ->
         clientModelSpec = {
             "name": "My Textbook",
             "showChapters": false,
+            "editing": false,
             "chapters": [{
                     "name": "Chapter 1",
                     "asset_path": "/ch1.pdf",
@@ -85,11 +86,6 @@ describe "CMS.Collections.TextbookSet", ->
         @collection.save()
         expect(@collection.sync).toHaveBeenCalledWith("update", @collection, undefined)
 
-    it "should respond to editOne events", ->
-        model = new CMS.Models.Textbook()
-        @collection.trigger('editOne', model)
-        expect(@collection.editing).toEqual(model)
-
 
 describe "CMS.Models.Chapter", ->
     beforeEach ->
diff --git a/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee b/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee
index e6519471a2..4aa48795a3 100644
--- a/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee
+++ b/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee
@@ -29,11 +29,9 @@ describe "CMS.Views.ShowTextbook", ->
             @view.render()
             expect(@view.$el).toContainText("Life Sciences")
 
-        it "should trigger an editOne event on the collection when the edit button is clicked", ->
-            spyOn(@collection, "trigger").andCallThrough()
+        it "should set the 'editing' property on the model when the edit button is clicked", ->
             @view.render().$(".edit").click()
-            expect(@collection.trigger).toHaveBeenCalledWith("editOne", @model)
-            expect(@collection.editing).toEqual(@model)
+            expect(@model.get("editing")).toBeTruthy()
 
         it "should pop a delete confirmation when the delete button is clicked", ->
             promptSpies = spyOnConstructor(CMS.Views.Prompt, "Warning", ["show", "hide"])
@@ -77,11 +75,10 @@ describe "CMS.Views.EditTextbook", ->
             appendSetFixtures($("<script>", {id: "system-feedback-tpl", type: "text/template"}).text(feedbackTpl))
             appendSetFixtures(sandbox({id: "page-notification"}))
             appendSetFixtures(sandbox({id: "page-prompt"}))
-            @model = new CMS.Models.Textbook({name: "Life Sciences"})
+            @model = new CMS.Models.Textbook({name: "Life Sciences", editing: true})
             @collection = new CMS.Collections.TextbookSet()
             spyOn(@collection, 'save')
             @collection.add(@model)
-            @collection.editing = @model
             @view = new CMS.Views.EditTextbook({model: @model})
             spyOn(@view, 'render').andCallThrough()
 
@@ -114,7 +111,6 @@ describe "CMS.Views.EditTextbook", ->
             expect(@model.get("name")).not.toEqual("starfish")
             expect(@model.get("chapters").at(0).get("name")).not.toEqual("foobar")
             expect(@collection.save).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
-            expect(@collection.editing).toBeUndefined()
 
         it "removes all empty chapters on cancel if the model has a non-empty chapter", ->
             chapters = @model.get("chapters")
@@ -178,11 +174,11 @@ describe "CMS.Views.ListTextbooks", ->
         expect(@editSpies.constructor).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
 
     it "should render an EditTextbook view for a textbook being edited", ->
-        # add three empty textbooks to the collection
-        @collection.add([{}, {}, {}])
-        # mark the second one as being edited
+        # add three empty textbooks to the collection: the first and third
+        # should be shown, and the second should be edited
+        @collection.add([{editing: false}, {editing: true}, {editing: false}])
         editing = @collection.at(1)
-        @collection.trigger('editOne', editing)
+        expect(editing.get("editing")).toBeTruthy()
         # reset spies
         @showSpies.constructor.reset()
         @editSpies.constructor.reset()
@@ -204,10 +200,6 @@ describe "CMS.Views.ListTextbooks", ->
         @view.$(".new-button").click()
 
         expect(@collection.length).toEqual(1)
-        expect(@collection.editing).toBeDefined()
-        editing = @collection.editing
-        expect(editing).toEqual(@collection.at(0))
-        expect(@editSpies.constructor).toHaveBeenCalledWith({model: editing})
         expect(@view.$el).toContain(@editSpies.$el)
         expect(@view.$el).not.toContain(@showSpies.$el)
 
diff --git a/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js b/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js
index 9579977d19..61864ddb7a 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ CMS.Models.Textbook = Backbone.AssociatedModel.extend({
         return {
             name: "",
             chapters: new CMS.Collections.ChapterSet([{}]),
-            showChapters: false
+            showChapters: false,
+            editing: false
         };
     },
     relations: [{
@@ -40,12 +41,6 @@ CMS.Models.Textbook = Backbone.AssociatedModel.extend({
 CMS.Collections.TextbookSet = Backbone.Collection.extend({
     model: CMS.Models.Textbook,
     url: function() { return CMS.URL.TEXTBOOK; },
-    initialize: function() {
-        this.listenTo(this, "editOne", this.editOne);
-    },
-    editOne: function(textbook) {
-        this.editing = textbook;
-    },
     save: function(options) {
         return this.sync('update', this, options);
     }
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js b/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js
index 8ed55cf717..f39521e8ca 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ CMS.Views.ShowTextbook = Backbone.View.extend({
     },
     editTextbook: function(e) {
         if(e && e.preventDefault) { e.preventDefault(); }
-        this.model.collection.trigger("editOne", this.model);
+        this.model.set("editing", true);
     },
     confirmDelete: function(e) {
         if(e && e.preventDefault) { e.preventDefault(); }
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ CMS.Views.EditTextbook = Backbone.View.extend({
         this.listenTo(chapters, "add", this.addOne);
         this.listenTo(chapters, "reset", this.addAll);
         this.listenTo(chapters, "all", this.render);
-        this.listenTo(this.model.collection, "editOne", this.remove);
     },
     tagName: "section",
     className: "textbook",
@@ -141,7 +140,6 @@ CMS.Views.EditTextbook = Backbone.View.extend({
     },
     close: function() {
         var textbooks = this.model.collection;
-        delete textbooks.editing;
         this.remove();
         // if the textbook has no content, remove it from the collection
         if(this.model.isEmpty()) {
@@ -157,8 +155,9 @@ CMS.Views.EditTextbook = Backbone.View.extend({
                 emptyChapters = _.tail(emptyChapters);
             }
             chapters.remove(emptyChapters);
+            // don't forget to tell the model that it's no longer being edited
+            this.model.set("editing", false);
         }
-        textbooks.trigger('render');
         return this;
     }
 });
@@ -178,7 +177,7 @@ CMS.Views.ListTextbooks = Backbone.View.extend({
             var that = this;
             textbooks.each(function(textbook) {
                 var view;
-                if (textbook === textbooks.editing) {
+                if (textbook.get("editing")) {
                     view = new CMS.Views.EditTextbook({model: textbook});
                 } else {
                     view = new CMS.Views.ShowTextbook({model: textbook});
@@ -193,11 +192,7 @@ CMS.Views.ListTextbooks = Backbone.View.extend({
     },
     addOne: function(e) {
         if(e && e.preventDefault) { e.preventDefault(); }
-        // if the existing edited textbook is empty, don't do anything
-        if(this.collection.editing && this.collection.editing.isEmpty()) { return; }
-        var m = new this.collection.model();
-        this.collection.add(m);
-        this.collection.trigger("editOne", m);
+        this.collection.add([{editing: true}]);
     }
 });
 CMS.Views.EditChapter = Backbone.View.extend({