One school's homework policy

I came across this article, written by a school psychologist from a school district that appears to have a better than average homework policy. It provides options for parents whose children are having difficulties with their homework and those options include creating time-based requirements, a concept I have frequently advocated. I am curious about two concepts in this policy. It talks about accommodations and modifications that parents can ask for. It highlights that these provisions can be enacted for children with special needs. It's not clear if we are talking about kids with formally documented special needs or special needs as they have been identified by the parent. As the readers of this blog know, I have concerns about the under-the-radar learning problems, difficulties with working memory and processing speed, that may not reach the level of a true learning disability but are, nevertheless, significant when it comes to homework completion.

There is one other line which makes me cringe, and that is where the policy states that "It’s your job as a parent ..." I have some problem with the notion of schools defining for parents their jobs. I think the parents' primary job is to raise their children the best they can. It is certainly their job, and their legal responsibility, to send their children to school. Most parents will accept as their jobs the need to guide and support the child in the various components of their lives. But the notion of an external entity, the school, defining a parents' responsibilities, is riling. I also think that, although the tone of this article gives parents more options, and the right to choose between options, than I've seem elsewhere, I am concerned that the policy has not more forcefully addressed the notion that schools have a way of vesting "authority" over the home in the school and "responsibility" over the child's behavior with the parent. I think schools need to understand and operate on the notion that kids need parents to have high levels of authority in addition to the great responsibilities they take on in having kids.


_{For more information on Dr. Goldberg's model, read other postings on this blog, visit his website, The Homework Trap, or read his book, The Homework Trap: How to Save the Sanity of Parents, Students and Teachers.} 

A Letter to Kingston

Dear Kingston Residents and School Personnel:

I’m pleased to read that you are going to look at your homework policy again. As you may know, I reviewed your draft policy and offered some comments in a prior blog.

As you move forth in developing you policy, let me offer a suggestion.  Typically, communities form task forces and develop surveys to find out what different community members want and what they think the policy should be. I don’t think they ask the opposite question, “What would things be like for you if we did things the other way”, referring to an approach they might not like.

Think about it. I may “want” an expensive car, but I chose a cheaper model. It gets me where I want to go and makes it easier for me to pay my mortgage and buy my children food.

Teachers: What would it be like to teach kids with no homework at all? Could you do it? Would the students still learn? What about homework that could not count for more than 10% of the grade? What if you had guidelines like the ones the Race toNowhere team proposed to the National PTA this past summer? What if you had free reign to give homework, but the parents had the final say on whether it had to get done?

Principals: What do you think would happened with these different proposals? Would they diminish or enhance your control of the school? Might you see a reduction in disciplinary situations? Do you think you could keep standard test scores up? Would the children still learn?

Parents: How would these policies affect your home? Would they enhance or detract from the quality of family life? Would they give you relief for your homework-trapped child? Would you start having problems with your homework-compliant child if some of his friends were given homework relief and he was still required to get his work done?

If you study the impact of proposed homework policies, rather than settling for what people prefer, you might get a better sense about how to proceed.

My guess is that, if you pose your questions this way, you’ll find that, because most of your teachers are highly skilled professionals, they are perfectly capable of teaching children with or without homework.

Those are my thoughts. I’ve gotta go to get so I can get to my office on time (in my economy car even though I might like to drive a BMW).

*****

Dr. Kenneth Goldberg, is the author of The Homework Trap: How to Save the Sanity of Parents, Teachers, and Students, published by Wyndmoor Press.

 I recommend giving copies of the book to the teachers at your child's school. Discount purchases are available through Wyndmoor Press. Single copies can be purchased at Amazon.

The Study Skills Class

In the Wicked Local Watertown, it is reported that the school district has a comprehensive policy to help struggling students (“Watertown officials review school policiestowards struggling students”). The article highlights the school district’s efforts at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, and for the middle school it notes, “The middle school also offers directed study periods, which are targeted at children who understand the concepts but are having trouble completing homework assignments.” These struggling students are precisely those I refer to as “homework-trapped” and the approach used in Watertown seems to match one of my primary recommendations at the middle and high school levels, a study skills class (The Homework Trap: How to Save the Sanity of Parents, Students and Teachers).

The study skill class is crucial for the success of the homework-trapped student at the middle school level since that student, who could not manage all the homework from one teacher at the elementary school level cannot now manage all the homework from multiple teachers at the middle school level despite the fact that, as the article notes, the student is capable of understanding the concepts. Not too complicated: The student can learn if only homework did not end up getting in the way.

In my experience, the study skills class (or as Watertown calls it, a directed study period) only works if it is coupled with time limits on the homework, and that necessarily calls for the teacher of the study skills class to have the authority to prioritize and waive assignments as needed for the student. Further, the method requires asserting that the parent is still the final decision-maker should further problems occur. Otherwise, one can have a successful middle school year, the child starts to feel good, and then “wham,” things change the next year with a new set of teachers or perhaps a new school, with the child transitioning from middle to high school. The student, who was learning successfully and filled with hope, feels betrayed, and things start to change. The student and parent often get blamed when the reality is that the system that was working has then been withdrawn.

So, I offer my support to Watertown for their concerted efforts at helping struggling students. Just try to understand that for the homework-trapped student, there is a need for continuing accommodations, and an attitude of full respect for the parent as the head of the home.

*****

Dr. Kenneth Goldberg, is the author of The Homework Trap: How to Save the Sanity of Parents, Teachers, and Students, published by Wyndmoor Press.

I recommend giving copies of the book to the teachers at your child's school. Discount purchases are available through Wyndmoor Press. Single copies can be purchased at Amazon.

Implementing the homework trap -- Part 4

This is the final segment of a four part series on implementing the homework trap. Here, I will discuss influencing district-wide homework policy. The key to making change lies in education instead of argumentation. It is important to develop a community-wide forum in which parents and teachers alike can learn what current homework policy is doing to kids. Without such an educational approach, it is likely that efforts to change homework policy will deteriorate into community-wide debate without positive results. I have followed homework news throughout the United States and around the world and it seems to me that in every case where education precedes debate, change occurs. This is certainly true for communities that have had a community-wide showing of The Race to Nowhere film. In contrast, there are other communities where a specific parent brings up the topic of homework at the school board meeting. This may lead to a homework task force, and some parents will argue for more homework while some will argue for less, but nothing really changes. This happens because the problem has not been well defined before the debate starts.

I've presented my homework model at various meetings of organizations that bring together people who do not work with each other. They go back to their home communities with my ideas in hand but then find it hard to bring others on board. In contrast, I find it more effective to speak to one school district where parents and/or teachers who will work together or live near each other can continue the discussion and debate. I recently learned that an individual who lives in another state (from New Jersey, where I live) presented my ideas to a principal at a school. The principal agreed with the model so the person who spoke with the principal went on to purchase books and donate them to the school for distribution among the teachers. It is my understanding that this led to faculty meetings to discuss homework policy based on a shared reading of the concepts of the homework trap. I don't expect that every teacher will agree. But they will have access to the core concepts that are needed for meaningful debate to take place.

If you are a parent who wants to see change, I strongly suggest you resist the temptation of going straight to the school board, but rather look for someone in a position of authority who might be receptive to new ideas. It could be the school principal as in the case I described above. It could be the superintendent. It could be a caring and motivated teacher. But to foster change, you need to find someone in the system who is receptive to new ideas, who can talk with colleagues and help establish the type of forum in which learning about homework begins to take place.

I've often said that I have great respect for teachers, but that I am also aware that teacher training typically overlooks homework, despite the fact that it is so widely used, and factors so heavily into the student's grade. You can't change the educational field, but you can participate in the education of a teacher or principal in your child's school, and encourage that person to help spread the word. The fall is a great time to introduce new ideas, before homework problems start to occur.

Educate first, then debate.




Visit The Homework Trap website

Dr. Kenneth Goldberg, is the author of The Homework Trap: How to Save the Sanity of Parents, Teachers, and Students, published by Wyndmoor Press.

Wyndmoor Press now offers bulk rate discounts to parent, school, and community groups. We recommend Amazon for single copy purchases.