Tho original poster is correct. It is unspoken policy. The majority of tenured teachers do not give homework for the reason stated. It has been the accepted practice at the middle school level for years. Most people don’t argue because it’s more work for the student and the teachers.

Anonymous wrote:You new parents were not around in the aughts when the refrain from parents of that era was to NOT give homework. Had nothing to do with equity and everything to do with a sense that school was unnecessarily rigorous and that there should be better balance. Google “The Race to Nowhere” which was totally en vogue back in the day.

You totally still get parents saying here (and I know young parents at our old public ES) that kids need time to be kids and that they should be playing outside rather than doing homework.

Based on the people I personally know with that attitude, what they really meant was "Overseeing my kids' homework takes too much of my time and I'd rather them be on screens leaving me alone."

He’s a ridiculous person. All my kids get homework- elementary through high school.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think that’s an official thing but most schools have stopped giving homework in the last several years. Although I’ve read that central office is going to be pushing for it again county wide.

“Most schools…” There are 200 schools in FCPS. 140 of them are elementary schools. Let’s saying you’re opining about those elementary schools only. What position do you have that would be qualified to speak about over 70 (seventy!) elementary schools?

Anonymous wrote:Middle school was a big transition because suddenly my kids had school homework.

Why more wasn't given as elementary progressed was a mystery

Not a mystery at all. Parents pitched a fit in the aughts about homework being assigned in ES. They wanted kids to have more time to play.

You new parents were not around in the aughts when the refrain from parents of that era was to NOT give homework. Had nothing to do with equity and everything to do with a sense that school was unnecessarily rigorous and that there should be better balance. Google “The Race to Nowhere” which was totally en vogue back in the day.

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a child in FFX but my coworker just claimed that kids are "not allowed to be given homework in FFX county as a matter of district policy because it negatively disadvantages minority kids." I find that highly improbable, but I would love to know. He gets on my nerves for a host of other reasons, so I'd really like to prove him wrong.

As a practical matter kids do their “homework” in class because block scheduling allows for it.

Our elementary and middle schools always gave homework over the years.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think that’s an official thing but most schools have stopped giving homework in the last several years. Although I’ve read that central office is going to be pushing for it again county wide.

Where did you see this? What is “most”?

My third grader has math homework this year. It's several pages given Monday and due Friday usually.

Anonymous wrote:Middle school was a big transition because suddenly my kids had school homework.

Why more wasn't given as elementary progressed was a mystery

For what? They can have that transition in middle school. Otherwise, the transition is in elementary and people want to start homework in preschool so it’s not a shock in elementary school.

Middle school was a big transition because suddenly my kids had school homework.

Why more wasn't given as elementary progressed was a mystery

OP here, so as I suspected, he was wrong as usual. I would have dropped it had he not added "because it negatively disadvantages minority kids" nonsense. He was wrong anyway, but that part just ticked me off. Thanks all!

Anonymous wrote:No. Homework is still definitely a thing. My daughter had tons of it in 3rd grade. Hardly any in 4th and 5th.

This was true at our school as well. Slightly more in 6th, but not much.

My 4th and 6th graders still get home work at least once a week. Usually math worksheets.