Should public school parents be allowed to opt their child out of homework?

[Anonymous]

To those who favor unilaterally opting their child out of homework, what other school policies are parents allowed to opt out of?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To those who favor unilaterally opting their child out of homework, what other school policies are parents allowed to opt out of?

Well, any activity that does not have a solid pedagogical basis behind it, I suppose. Especially one that takes up time outside of school.

For my family, homework is the only school-directed activity that has to happen at home. But if a teacher told my child to, say, wear red pyjamas at night, because it was important to do so... and I didn't feel it was necessary, useful or appropriate, than I guess parents shoudl feel free to opt out of that policy as well.

Or, if a school had a policy that ALL kids in a class needed to be invited to a birthday party, and I didn't want to invite all the kids in class, but just 3 of them... I think parents could opt out of that policy -- especially if we are talking about public school.

[Anonymous]

Great response, PP.

So here's something the schools "let" us opt out of: sex ed. They recognize that my right as a parent in matters of reproduction supersede their right to teach about it.

The same thing should apply to homework. No matter what the school says, I have the right as a parent to direct how my child spends his.her time after school. The school, i.e., the government, cannot come in to my home at night and tell me how to raise my kid. But in effect, that it was homework does -- it invades and disrupts homelife it is not properly managed. And sometimes the only way to manage it is by saying no to it.

If I feel that the homework enhances my children's learning, then I will say go ahead and do it. If I feel that the homework is stressing them out and teaching them nothing, then I will REFUSE to allow them to do it. We send a horrible message to our children when we make them engage in an activity that has no value, simply because someone of higher authority tells them to. With that kind of mentality, we create a nation of non-thinking automatons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: With that kind of mentality, we create a nation of non-thinking automatons.

Which is exactly the point of most schools! How else will the politicians continue to get people to vote for them as they enact policies that concentrate 90% of the nation's wealth in 1% of the nations' pockets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: With that kind of mentality, we create a nation of non-thinking automatons.

Which is exactly the point of most schools! How else will the politicians continue to get people to vote for them as they enact policies that concentrate 90% of the nation's wealth in 1% of the nations' pockets?

Yes! Sometimes I wonder if the methods of the public school system is part of an evil government plot to brainwash the populace and preserve the status quo....

[Anonymous]

No one is forcing a parent to make their children do homework or to stop their children from doing homework. If you prefer your child not do homework, "or opt out", you may do so. Your children will be accountable even if you are not. They will reap the consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is forcing a parent to make their children do homework or to stop their children from doing homework. If you prefer your child not do homework, "or opt out", you may do so. Your children will be accountable even if you are not. They will reap the consequences.

Of course no one can "force" parents to make kids to homework, or make kids do homework either. There is no gun-to-the-head force; but there is very real coercion going on. In elementary school, kids who didn't do homework were shamed by having to skip recess and forced to sit again the wall of shame. In middle school, the teacher publicly announces who isn't turning in assignments and penalizes grades. And of course in high school, grades become an even bigger factor.

So what choice is there really? Kids and parents are forced to play the game to avoid penalty. And I know plenty of parents who do their kids homework just to avoid these penalties or to help bolster their kids grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is forcing a parent to make their children do homework or to stop their children from doing homework. If you prefer your child not do homework, "or opt out", you may do so. Your children will be accountable even if you are not. They will reap the consequences.

Well, yeah, that's exactly the problem, hence OP's question. When she posted "Should parents be allowed to opt their child out of homework" of course she meant "with the child suffering no disciplinary consequences."

[Anonymous]

Well, yeah, that's exactly the problem, hence OP's question. When she posted "Should parents be allowed to opt their child out of homework" of course she meant "with the child suffering no disciplinary consequences."

Courses or subjects have requirements to complete satisfactorily. No one will give your child an A if they do not meet the requirements. If the requirements include homework assignments or projects; poor work or no work is an F. This is not a form of adverse disciplinary consequence. It reflects performance ... or lack thereof ... not a disciplinary issue or matter. The good thing is certain course requirements do not carry the same weight (e.g., homework, quiz versus term test/exam).

[Anonymous]

Therefore, as a parent if you choose to decide for your child what requirements they complete or abandon...that's your prerogative. However, in my classroom your child will not get special treatment. If other students complete the required homework (for performance evaluation) and yours does not they will get the credit and yours will not. Not a disciplinary matter but a performance matter. If you don't like it you may request reassignment to another classroom or school that jumps to your tune and command.

[Anonymous]

Parents can indeed opt out of exams, homework and projects for their children. But, this will be reflected in their child's performance evaluation. On the other hand, parents will need to get services of a psychologist/ psychiatrist/ counselor for learning disabilities that may benefit from certain accommodations from teachers at school (including not doing homework).

[Anonymous]

If I feel that the homework enhances my children's learning, then I will say go ahead and do it. If I feel that the homework is stressing them out and teaching them nothing, then I will REFUSE to allow them to do it. We send a horrible message to our children when we make them engage in an activity that has no value, simply because someone of higher authority tells them to. With that kind of mentality, we create a nation of non-thinking automatons.

Stress and stimulation is a good thing without which mankind would not survive. Lack of stress and stimulation is a bad thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Well, yeah, that's exactly the problem, hence OP's question. When she posted "Should parents be allowed to opt their child out of homework" of course she meant "with the child suffering no disciplinary consequences."

Courses or subjects have requirements to complete satisfactorily. No one will give your child an A if they do not meet the requirements. If the requirements include homework assignments or projects; poor work or no work is an F. This is not a form of adverse disciplinary consequence. It reflects performance ... or lack thereof ... not a disciplinary issue or matter. The good thing is certain course requirements do not carry the same weight (e.g., homework, quiz versus term test/exam).

Right. See earlier comments where the suggestion has been made to NOT allow teachers to grade homework for a course grade.

The grade is for mastery of material, as demonstrated by performance on an in-class test. Homework is assigned as a way to practice skills needed for mastery, but is not in itself graded for an achievement/knowledge grade. Therefore students and their parents can decide if child needs to do homework or not.

I think this would be a much better system. As a teacher, I used this system, and it worked very well.

[Anonymous]

Right. See earlier comments where the suggestion has been made to NOT allow teachers to grade homework for a course grade.

The grade is for mastery of material, as demonstrated by performance on an in-class test. Homework is assigned as a way to practice skills needed for mastery, but is not in itself graded for an achievement/knowledge grade. Therefore students and their parents can decide if child needs to do homework or not.

I think this would be a much better system. As a teacher, I used this system, and it worked very well.

If this is why you give homework as a teacher then you can grade your students anyway you wish. In my classroom certain homework and projects can't be done in school. Not enough time. Teachers may assign this for homework and evaluate the work product with a score or grade. The grade is not soley based on in class tests. Yes, students and their parents can decide if children need to do homework or not but they can't decide on my evaluation methods and their child's grade. In class tests are not the sole component of final grades in my classroom. Oral presentations, projects (done in class and home), take home exams and in class exams, written work at home and in class, and graded homework are all components of the grade. My system works superbly in my hands. Some of the most outstanding teachers and teaching award winners (from students and not necessarily their parents) have practised this way.

Of course, students and their parents will continue to shop for schools and teachers that do not assign any homework (nothing new here) and many students will shop for superb teachers regardless of homework policy, customs and practises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

In my classroom certain homework and projects can't be done in school. Not enough time.

So because you don't have enough time to complete work in the classroom, do you know all of the things that we don't have enough time for as a family because your homework demands infiltrate our personal time? If you don't have children, maybe you don't realize what a drain homework can be on family life. Also, do you have any way of knowing if the kids are actually doing the work themselves? We live in one of the wealthier more educated parts of FCPS, and I will promise you that there are many parents who do or assist heavily with homework, and many others who cheat off of each other. So how can you say that this system works? To me, the best teachers are the ones who can do all their teaching in the classroom and not farm out the rest to the parents.