Your opinion on my family's homework policy

[Anonymous]

We moved here from a state where our school system didn't allow homework to be included in the calculation of grades, and in addition, nightly homework was discouraged (homework was to be used for review before a big test, etc). My kids were in that school system until this school year. They all got good grades. We moved here with 2 of them in high school and one in middle school.

When we moved here, the homework (we are in FCPS) stunned my kids. SO much homework! the high schoolers were expected to do about 3-4 hours nightly, the middle schooler about 2-3. Insanity.

I made a policy early in the year (October) with my kids: IF they could maintain As and Bs and not get any Cs, I didn't care if they did homework or not.

All three kids carefully calculated their classes all year long, calculating exactly how much homework was worth and ensuring they kept their grades up. Two of them didn't do a lick of homework, (they did large projects, I am talking about nightly homework). One of them did the homework for one class they were struggling to maintain a B in.

We successfully got through the school year with all of them maintaining the As and Bs we expect and the system worked fine.

A few times throughout the year, I did get emails (they were kind of automated emails, not personal ones) from teachers letting me know homework wasn't being done. I didn't act upon them, because I was well aware homework wasn't being done.

My kids had a great year, embedded themselves into new schools at a tough age to move, joined sports teams, were active and happy all year and maintained good grades.

I now have had a conversation with one teacher who dragged me through the mud for my family's policy on this. She basically told me it was disrespectful to the teachers. I am stunned, because in my house, in fact, education is a top priority. our feeling is that teaching our kids to manage their own schoolwork and teaching them to advocate for themselves, maintain expected grades, and be responsible is paramount. So I was blown away. My kid got an "A" in this teachers class, and overall I guess my question is if my kid could do that then any homework he skipped was obviously unnecessary, for him. Homework is supposed to be repetition of the classroom work in order to help the kids learn it, right? So if my kid has demonstrated that they don't need it, what is the problem?

My kid is so happy, well adjusted, plays sports and manages to juggle his school and extracurricular stuff on his own...Im just baffled at being told that I was demonstrating poor parenting.

Interested in your thoughts. I may change this policy up next year if I am off base here. But it kills me to pull my kids into the house every night for that much homework time, for zero benefit. They could be outside playing baseball. Plenty of time in life ahead of them to spend their entire days working.....

[Anonymous]

Congrats, they think rules don't apply to them. Good luck getting them to pay their taxes.

[Anonymous]

I'm an FCPS administrator, and I think it's a great family policy. Homework should never be calculated in the overall achievement grade. Either the child demonstrates understanding of the material or he doesn't. That's what the grade should be based on.

[Anonymous]

If it working for your family, keep on doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Congrats, they think rules don't apply to them. Good luck getting them to pay their taxes.

This makes no sense. The kids did the work they needed to do for reports and projects. They just didn't do the mindless repetitive assignments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved here from a state where our school system didn't allow homework to be included in the calculation of grades, and in addition, nightly homework was discouraged (homework was to be used for review before a big test, etc). My kids were in that school system until this school year. They all got good grades. We moved here with 2 of them in high school and one in middle school.

When we moved here, the homework (we are in FCPS) stunned my kids. SO much homework! the high schoolers were expected to do about 3-4 hours nightly, the middle schooler about 2-3. Insanity.

I made a policy early in the year (October) with my kids: IF they could maintain As and Bs and not get any Cs, I didn't care if they did homework or not.

All three kids carefully calculated their classes all year long, calculating exactly how much homework was worth and ensuring they kept their grades up. Two of them didn't do a lick of homework, (they did large projects, I am talking about nightly homework). One of them did the homework for one class they were struggling to maintain a B in.

We successfully got through the school year with all of them maintaining the As and Bs we expect and the system worked fine.

A few times throughout the year, I did get emails (they were kind of automated emails, not personal ones) from teachers letting me know homework wasn't being done. I didn't act upon them, because I was well aware homework wasn't being done.

My kids had a great year, embedded themselves into new schools at a tough age to move, joined sports teams, were active and happy all year and maintained good grades.

I now have had a conversation with one teacher who dragged me through the mud for my family's policy on this. She basically told me it was disrespectful to the teachers. I am stunned, because in my house, in fact, education is a top priority. our feeling is that teaching our kids to manage their own schoolwork and teaching them to advocate for themselves, maintain expected grades, and be responsible is paramount. So I was blown away. My kid got an "A" in this teachers class, and overall I guess my question is if my kid could do that then any homework he skipped was obviously unnecessary, for him. Homework is supposed to be repetition of the classroom work in order to help the kids learn it, right? So if my kid has demonstrated that they don't need it, what is the problem?

My kid is so happy, well adjusted, plays sports and manages to juggle his school and extracurricular stuff on his own...Im just baffled at being told that I was demonstrating poor parenting.

Interested in your thoughts. I may change this policy up next year if I am off base here. But it kills me to pull my kids into the house every night for that much homework time, for zero benefit. They could be outside playing baseball. Plenty of time in life ahead of them to spend their entire days working.....

I never assign homework for practice, only for preparation for the next day's lesson (flipped classroom) so I would be troubled by a student ignoring this. However, if you feel your kids are only assigned busy work, challenge the benefit of the specific assignments.

[Anonymous]

Change schools. You need find to find one that matches your style. I totally get where you are coming from, but you are undermining their teachers and school. You are missing the bigger picture in teaching your kids respect and integrity.

[Anonymous]

This is interesting. I think you should delve into this deeper. Write an article. Give examples of homework skipped (as PP said, was it something that helps them prepare and contribute for next day or busy work? Or mix?) Also, exactly how it impacted grades. Please publicize. As you are already getting mixed opinions here, I think it is a great way to discuss the problem of HW even more. Thanks and GL!

[Anonymous]

I say bravo!

[Anonymous]

I think students should show respect to the teacher by doing what they are asked - however - that many hours of homework a night is not right and something should be done.

[Anonymous]

i think this is GENIUS! what a way to work the system. the amount of homework nowadays is insane. i just turned down a charter school for my first grader when i found out there is 1-2 hours of homework a night. for a FIRST grader?! are they insane??!

i love your idea and will use it for my own children.

-a teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think students should show respect to the teacher by doing what they are asked - however - that many hours of homework a night is not right and something should be done.

And I think that teachers need to respect students as learners by not assigning mindless busy work.

--a teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Change schools. You need find to find one that matches your style. I totally get where you are coming from, but you are undermining their teachers and school. You are missing the bigger picture in teaching your kids respect and integrity.

The kids learned a great lesson about time management and prioritization. Exactly the skills they will need in college and the workplace. Repect does not mean blindly following commans, especially when they make no sense

[Anonymous]

We have a similar policy.

For K-1st grade they only do the amount of homework they want to do.

I am against mindless homework for lower grades. This year my kindergartner's teacher sent home packets of 5-10 pages each week, plus five spelling words to write x3 in additoon to the regular packet that the other K classes received. We did maybe 3/4 of the assigned packet and less than half of the supplementals. After full day K my kid was worn out. I think K-1st is mostly about learning to love learning, and 30-60 minutes of homework/night for a five or six year old does not accomplish this and actually does quite the opposite.

In 2nd-5th the kods get their homework done. I think homework at this age teaches organization and study skills more than anything.

Sixth and up, the homework is 100% on them. I give a generic "get your homework done" reminder, but whether or not they actually do it is up to them. I don't get involved unless the grades go down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Congrats, they think rules don't apply to them. Good luck getting them to pay their taxes.

OP.

I *sort of* see this, kind of...but, the rules about schoolwork in my house are that they are expected to get As and Bs. They follow rules about school. They follow a million other rules at school, they follow our house rules, they follow rules on their sports teams, two of them follow rules about their drivers license, they follow rules about their chores...I mean, I guess my thought is they will pay their taxes just fine Its not like we have a willy nilly parenting style, you know?