Calgary family negotiates "no homework" agreement with school

[CougarKing]

At least now they can't use "the dog ate my homework" excuse for not being prepared for class.  :

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/091118/canada/canada_calgary_calgary_homework_school_students


CALGARY (CBC) - A Calgary family concerned about their children's homework load has signed a contract with their school to eliminate the problem altogether.


Tom Milley and his wife have signed a formal "no homework" contract with their children's school.


"With two children in school there was just an inordinate amount of homework coming home and a lot of it was busy work," said Milley.


The family has signed what is called a differentiated homework plan with their children's Catholic school. Their daughter and son now in Grades 5 and 7 won't have to bring work home. Instead they'll be marked only on work they do in the classroom.


The homework load kept his children from improving their weak areas, said Milley. He also questions the value of homework.

"The way they do grades is by marking certain assignments and homework," he said. "If you're going to mark homework, whose work are you actually marking? Because if you send it home, you don't know who's doing it. It could be their older brothers or sisters or their parents."


When Milley's children return home from school, they still study for tests and practice what they have learned in the classroom, but they concentrate on the subjects where they're weak, he said.


More than 40 per cent of Alberta nine-year-olds bring homework home every day, according to Statistics Canada.


The decision to sign a differentiated homework plan is up to each school, which tries to support the needs of the student, said Tania Younker, a spokeswoman for Calgary's Catholic School District.


"It's certainly something we encourage them to discuss with their teacher and their school administrator. Depending on circumstance, we will ensure what is being done is in the best interests of the child."


Vera Goodman, a retired teacher in Calgary, has written a book about too much homework. She expects the idea will catch on with other parents.


"I know there's people who like homework and people who don't want to do it. And this gives people choice to do whatever they want with their own time."


The Calgary Catholic School District has a committee examining the value of homework and will have new regulations next fall

 

[GAP]

Most homework is either a failure of the student (for not working in class) or the teacher (for failing to get the concept across). I have no objection to "some" homework, probably in the 1/2 to 3/4 hour total for the day...not a 1/2 hour per teacher resulting in 2 or more hours total.

Homework should be for subjects such as reading/math/sciences.....Music/Home Economics/Shops/PE etc should never need homework unless it is just the enthusiasm of the child enjoying what they are doing.

 

[navymich]

My son is currently in grade 6.  This is his 3rd year that he has been at this school and I could count on one hand, the number of times he has brought homework home in that total time.  Between the combination of him getting it done in class, plus the teachers ensuring that there is adequate time to complete it in school, results in nothing being brought home.  Instead, the kids are strongly encouraged (lots of contests and little prizes) to read at home for a set time (grade dependent; my son is at 45 mins per night).  On the rare occasion, the kids will receive homework to be completed on a PD Day, but this is minimal and is usually interactive.

 

[newton123]

This homework usefulness debate is nothing new.  I remember when, many moons ago (the mid-1980s), I was in elementary school.  Even then I recall the average working family complaining to the school about the two hours of homework every single night.  It sounds a little much, but if you have a half hour-ish each of math, a science topic, english, and french then  Poof! A-la-peanut-butter-sandwiches the kids have two hours of supplementary work to do compliments of the inefficient teaching structures of our school system.

After sitting in a 30 pupil classroom from about 8 O'clock AM until about 4 PM with two short breaks and a one hour lunch...you would be correct to assume I was not only fed up but got quite diminishing returns from any post-school day studying.

I agree 100% with the post which says that homework should be for math and science subjects only. 

 

[X-mo-1979]

If we don't give children work to take home with them after a long school day how do we expect the next generation to perform as a sgt in the combat arms?

Infact maybe the grade 8's could give their homework to the grade 7's and call it professional development.The can learn that their hard work will get someone else to grade 9.

In all seriousness children up to grade 9 shouldn't be dealing with homework.They should be out being kids.Maybe give them  a little to develop good study skill's; but nothing more.

 

[beach_bum]

I have had this fight with my children's school.  My oldest started bringing homework home by about grade 3 (other than work she didn't complete in class).  I was told by the school that it was good to get them in the habit of doing homework every night.  It would prepare them for high school.  Seriously?  Starting in Grade 3?  I explained to the school that I would rather her play outside and enjoy being a kid and that she would not be doing the homework.  Now, in grade 7 she has homework.  She works at it and for the most part it doesn't take too long and I'm okay with that.  She still has time to play outside.

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

my  neices...( no children of my  own yet)  ages 13  ( grade 8) always have home work, the 6 yr old she has home work from grade 1 almost daily, the one that  really shocks is the 4 year old in JR K  she has at least one sheet duee every  day and she only  attends school 3 days a week  for a full day...why  does a 4 year old ahev home work...somethign is wrong there.  this is work assigned to do at home. some time colouring project, but mostly  printing and number work....work sheets....i think it is wrong, they  need the social skills first at that  age.
just my  thoughts

 

[X-mo-1979]

this is work assigned to do at home. some time colouring project, but mostly  printing and number work....work sheets....i think it is wrong, they  need the social skills first at that  age.
just my  thoughts

Very good example and very good point.

There is no reason a child should at greade three need's to practice letters when they should be out playing with others,learning social skills like you said.

However after visiting my little guys school,some of your kids are dumb. ;D just kidding.

I think another part of the problem can be attributed to parents not taking the time to work with their children.If my son (3)wants to go to the beach he gotta spell it before we go.If he wants to go swimming he gotta spell water.It's to a point now where he asks how to spell stuff.his vocabulary is awesome and on rainy days he spells words on our door with those magnet letters, for fun and not directed.Simple parenting would help out the teachers as well.

 

[Spanky]

[Simple parenting would help out the teachers as well.
[/quote]
THANK YOU!!!  Simple, common sense parenting makes all the difference in the world.  I rarely (if ever) assign additional work to be done at night.  It just makes extra work for me to ensure that it's done, track it down when it's not, then assess it.  The only thing I expect is that the work not completed during the day is returned the next, good to go.  I do recommend that my grade 7 and 8 students spend about 45 minutes an evening completing that work, reading, or studying.

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

A lot of time there is no time to do homework given that between parents having lives, scouts, music, cadets etc.  the time between school and bedtime is booked.  Also shovelling homework on underachieving children who don't do it anyway accomplishes little but frustration.  High school is a good time to start.

 

[SeanNewman]

1.  There is no reason a child should at greade three need's to practice...

2.  If my son (3) wants to go to the beach he gotta spell it before we go...

:-X

 

[Braver.Stronger.Smarter.]

Well, I can't speak for the younger grades as I was homeschooled from Grade 3 onwards, but in high school we (people in my class) had homework. Some of it was projects and assignments (which I believe are perfectly acceptable as homework; they help you build study skills and time management skills), but the majority of it was simply work that was assigned in class, we were given half the class to complete it and if you didn't complete it, you had homework. Most of the kids left with homework from almost every class, every day.

What I noticed was that this was the result of two things. One, most kids focused way too much on the "drama" of high school and the social aspect in class rather than doing what they came to class to do, learn. If students took advantage of the class time given them, they would have far less homework - I rarely had any. Two, mainly for English class, students have a very basic level of understanding of the English language. As one poster said earlier, grammar skills are non-existent and students in my school were coming into an English 30-1 class (the hardest level that you could be in, excluding AP classes) that had never read a book from cover to cover before. Coming from my homeschooled background, I recall being shocked at how normal it was for students in a Grade 10 or even 12 level English class to watch the movie instead of reading the book. That isn't something that homework can fix. That's a result of poor teaching and, dare I say it, lack of parental involvement and care that probably reaches way down into the elementary grades.

 

[Occam]

Mods, there are a bunch of posts in the "Whats the dumbest thing you heard said today?" thread that might be more appropriately posted in this thread.

 

[Spanky]

A lot of time there is no time to do homework given that between parents having lives, scouts, music, cadets etc.  the time between school and bedtime is booked.  Also shovelling homework on underachieving children who don't do it anyway accomplishes little but frustration.  High school is a good time to start.

There are some high school teachers who may disagree.  As far as the parents having lives.... it shouldn't be a factor with older students. 

 

[HeadLamp]

This may only apply to the school I attended, but the main problem I have with homework is that all the work brought home was worth more of your final grade in high school than the final examination. I always thought that a practical test asking you to apply all the concepts and skills taught to you previously in the semester would be the main basis for judging your ability to perform in that particular subject. Being able to score high 90's on the final exams and still possibly failing the subject because you didn't feel like redundantly doing work to grasp the concept of an idea that you understood and could apply in the first 15 minutes of class that day just seems a bit illogical to me.

 

[armyvern]

Geez!!

Can someone come here and talk to my teacher!!?? I've got 1.5 to 2 hours of homework to do every night ... and it's not because I don't get my work done in class - it's because she writes homework on the board (Ie M8L1 ex 1-8, M8L2 act 3) about 5 minutes before classes end for the day ...

It's NOT fair!! 

 

[vonGarvin]

Geez!!

Can someone come here and talk to my teacher!!?? I've got 1.5 to 2 hours of homework to do every night ... and it's not because I don't get my work done in class - it's because she writes homework on the board (Ie M8L1 ex 1-8, M8L2 act 3) about 5 minutes before classes end for the day ...

It's NOT fair!! 

So....you have a girl teacher?  If she's hot, well, I'll see if I can gather a few of the usual suspects around here and give her a stern talking-to!

Here's an artist's conception of us talking to her:

 

[kratz]

If you don't do your homework, You're darn right that's a paddl'in.

 

[c_canuk]

I've seen kids in NB getting 2 hours of homework in kindergarden... seriously, 26 pages of photocopied colouring book that they were required to colour for the next day... A-Z

totally pointless timewaster that teaches nothing, and makes you crazy trying to sit them still to actually colour the letters in.

I can understand the value of homework, ie forcing the students to build on what they did that day, then there is assigning 50 exercises of makework drivel that doesn't build on anything and is pointless. I've experienced both.

if you look at NB's track record in education you'll see that it's not working.

This is also from the same school system that has systematically removed all trade courses as we are on the cusp of a critical shortage of skilled labour:

What about kids who want a trade? - too bad pay for trade school... frig the kids from poor families that could have learned a trade in highschool and won't be able to afford college.

What about kids that aren't smart enough or have the ambition to go to University? frig them they get to flunk out and be unskilled labourers because you need highschool to get into trade college.

This brought to you by the deep thinkers that took a peanut butter sandwich away from a lactose intolerant kid and gave him a grilled cheese and chocolate milk instead because peanut butter is banned because it could harm a child that is severely allergic to peanut butter.

was there any child like that on the premises, their response was "no, but that's not the point"

that's right, actually poison the real kid to avoid the slim chance of poisoning a non existant kid.

Apparently they aren't allowed to bring water to school because "it leaks" and reusable plastic food containers are also confiscated for some reason.

I can't wait till my son enters the school system.

 

[armyvern]

I've seen kids in NB getting 2 hours of homework in kindergarden... seriously, 26 pages of photocopied colouring book that they were required to colour for the next day... A-Z

totally pointless timewaster that teaches nothing, and makes you crazy trying to sit them still to actually colour the letters in.

I can understand the value of homework, ie forcing the students to build on what they did that day, then there is assigning 50 exercises of makework drivel that doesn't build on anything and is pointless. I've experienced both.

if you look at NB's track record in education you'll see that it's not working.

This is also from the same school system that has systematically removed all trade courses as we are on the cusp of a critical shortage of skilled labour:

What about kids who want a trade? - too bad pay for trade school... frig the kids from poor families that could have learned a trade in highschool and won't be able to afford college.

What about kids that aren't smart enough or have the ambition to go to University? frig them they get to flunk out and be unskilled labourers because you need highschool to get into trade college.

This brought to you by the deep thinkers that took a peanut butter sandwich away from a lactose intolerant kid and gave him a grilled cheese and chocolate milk instead because peanut butter is banned because it could harm a child that is severely allergic to peanut butter.

was there any child like that on the premises, their response was "no, but that's not the point"

that's right, actually poison the real kid to avoid the slim chance of poisoning a non existant kid.

Apparently they aren't allowed to bring water to school because "it leaks" and reusable plastic food containers are also confiscated for some reason.

I can't wait till my son enters the school system.

Wow. Exactly which school in NB are you speaking of because you're speaking with a pretty HUGE brush ... certainly not any of the ones that my kids attended or are currently attending. All of which have allowed PB (and bottled water [plastic bottles mind you - not glass ...]) Their NB schools have been a whopping whole lot better than what we experiened at Susie Moo in Belleville Ontario ...

Oh yeah ... everyone must bring re-usable containers for their lunches too at the schools they've attended in NB ... oh ... and there's auto-shop, metal shop ... a whole bunch of other stuff ...

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