Letters to the Editor
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Jumping ship
I never thought I would do it. In fact, as a teacher I was always completely against it. But after my own spin on the homework hell cycle, we jumped ship and I homeschooled this year. Did it eliminate all of the whining over school? No. But we average two hours a day at the park now. We eat dinner together six nights a week and manage to have four or five more meals together between lunches and a family breakfast on Wednesdays. Instead of talking about a trip to the zoo or the museum, we actually go to both. And while I'll be the first to admit the paint hasn't come off of my floor, we had a blast making those plaster of paris alphabet letters and painting them. I never wake up panicking because we overslept and I no longer fume when the kids go to bed too late knowing they'll be grouchy tomorrow. In short, I have never felt so liberated from the "hamster wheel" and I have never enjoyed being with my kids so much. I thank God everyday for that Famous Inventor Report that pushed us over the edge. We are loving the waters now!
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Wrong homework?
Maybe the lesson that life is pain is not such a bad idea?
There is so much wrong with the education system in the U.S. I hardly know where to begin. At least Ms. Waldman's children are doing homework and finding out that learning means work. This is better than many other places. For example, one of my nephews endured a few months of the Oakland (CA) Public School system. There a D+ was the only socially acceptable grade and the other children would accuse any who did better of "trying to be Asian." The practice of "social promotion" -- the passing of students into the next grade regardless of whether they did any homework or passed any tests -- has created a huge number of people who have no concept of school as anything other than a parking lot for their bodies. Surveys of college freshman have uncovered an epidemic of cheating and plagiarism. Oh, and we have schools graduating students who can not read.
Salon could run stories on the demise of public education in the U.S. The problems occur across state boundaries and have far reaching implications. But instead we read about yet another middle-class parent complaining about how difficult the middle-class life has become. The U.S. has droves of children not receiving anything even pretending to be an education. At least when they grow up Waldman's children will likely qualify to perform jobs that pay well enough for them to live.
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Hard-working, organized children
My daughter is in the 8th grade. During elementary school, there were times when as an adult I perceived her homework burden to be excessive. Like Ayelet I spoke to her teacher - the solution was the same here as well - when a given assignment is too much, draw a line and move on.
I'm glad that we went through this heavy homework period. At 13 my child is far better organized and a far more diligent worker than I ever was in school. Homework is her job. She comes home, she has a snack, she does her homework and when the work is done she joins the rest of the family for whatever family activities are on the agenda.
I couldn't be more pleased with my daughter's overall discipline with regards to school, and I can't help but think that the homework in elementary school was an important contributing factor. I'd much rather have the school pushing a heavy work agenda with the option of "drawing a line through it" than a non-existent home-school relationship characterized by neglect.
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Homework Hell
Point one: I design and write end-of-grade tests and other assessment instruments, and I do my very best to make them sensible and meaningful.
Point two: I am in total agreement with Ayelet Waldman's statements in "Homework Hell."
Point three: As a person with decent and compassionate feelings for children, and as a test writer and editor, I believe that homework up to grade 7 should be minimal. Short math drills! Short reading assignments! Sprawling, interminable research projects that require heavy-duty adult input DO NOT HELP ANYONE LEARN TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL, including real research or passing any test I write. The best way to do really well on my reading tests is to read - and what to read is less an issue than most people imagine, so people of all ages should be free to follow their bliss - and get hardwired with the English language's behaviors and possibilities. And someone tormented with hours of post-school makework is not going to read voluntarily, with that special alertness and receptivity associated with pleasure. It is my firm belief that no synthetic, mechanistic "reading activities" or tutorials take the place of regular reading done for reasons of fascination and pleasure.
Point four: Children under 12 may be able to ape adult research activities, but they can't do research like an adult because they don't have the context, the life-on-earth experience and sense of connectivity that real research requires. And, do you know what? That's okay, because they don't need to do research. They can do it in high school and college. That's plenty early.
Point five: Parents can refuse to be part of "homework hell." Refuse to taxi the kid around on homework errands. Don't pressure the kid to do more than an hour's homework, MAX. Be an active advocate for the kid's right to be off shift when the school day ends, to get healthy exercise and socialize with other kids, to read and think and develop creatively and spiritually...which requires some idleness, even some boredom. People never learn what to do with themselves unless they have to think about the issue a bit.
Point six: A teacher does not have the right to immiserate your home. This is your child, your family life, and your own life. Your family life should not be tainted with memories of unnecessary conflict and embattlement on the home front. And, you know what else? You are out of school and should not feel compelled to repeat the experience. Take charge; say no; get a group of like-minded parents together to press the point if necessary, then press it with conviction.