What Gives State Run Public Schools The RIGHT To Interfere in Family Life in terms of Homework & Parent Participation? (accepted, students)

[formercalifornian]

imcurious, since you have done your reading about the history of modern compulsory education, then you must know that it was instituted during the industrial age for the benefit of business magnates like Rockefeller, Carnegie, & Morgan. There's lots more to know, but suffice it to say, it was never really about helping the children. Fortunately, we've come a long way since then.

And, my concern about your mental health was genuine, but since you've implied you're a-okay, I'll leave well enough alone and stick to the discussion at hand. Might I suggest you do the same?

[TabulaRasa]

It is a noteworthy observation, isn't it?

Of course, I'm not a parent, either. Merely an educator, education writer, former education beat journalist, and student, myself.

[imcurious]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

Wow! Really? That certainly puts things into a whole new light for me.

To whomever said I was not a parent . . . vicious, malicious, unfounded lie.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

It was big assignments over weekends, and yes over breaks (despite that being officially against school policy).

Wow, I have never seen a school policy that forbids the issuing assignments over weekends or breaks. Interesting.

[imcurious]

Way to derail a thread: Start slinging mud and making vicious, personal attacks. Not cool.

[imcurious]

To the parent of six kids who is craving MORE homework . . .what is stopping you from providing whatever enrichment material or drills you would like for your children? Why must the school do it for you?

[brooklynborndad]

"What exactly does your 5th grader get for homework?"

My daughter has graduated TJ, and will be attending RPI in the fall (currently on a gap year) so I would be going from memory. It took hours to do it. The teacher repeatedly said it shouldn't take that long. Of course when we had a meeting to see if she needed an IEP for ADHD, the SAME teacher said she was doing just fine.


Among other things she had too look up words in a dictionary and copy out the definitions by hand. This was tedious, of minimal educational value, and for a bright ADD youngster, whose inclination was to read all the other definitions on the page, it was interminable. It was a very odd assignment for a gifted and talented class, IMO. It may not have been mandated by the state, but to us seemed consistent with the spirit of our district's and state's response to NCLB.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by imcurious

Way to derail a thread: Start slinging mud and making vicious, personal attacks. Not cool.

The thread doesn't seem to be particularly derailed, to me, despite numerous efforts to the contrary on your part.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by TabulaRasa

Wow, I have never seen a school policy that forbids the issuing assignments over weekends or breaks. Interesting.

Over breaks, not weekends.

It seems quite reasonable, especially at a school where the kids work like bears all week. They are entitled to SOME time off.

But don't worry too much, the policy was not enforced.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

We homeschooled her for a year, but didnt feel confident about doing that for HS. We could not afford a private school. She went to a magnet where at least most of the assignments made sense, but there was too much homework, and some did not make sense. Not everyone has the resources to escape the public schools. Our DD was strong enough to get through. But it took a toll on all of us.

The large amount was 3 to 4 hours a night in fifth grade. It was big assignments over weekends, and yes over breaks (despite that being officially against school policy).

My daughters INSUBORDINATION????? this is precisely the attitude we despise in the public schools. She is not a soldier receiving orders. Its supposed to be about learning, and NO, not learning to be good little subordinate. She DID do the assignment, of course. I was PROUD that she could see its stupidity, and express it with wit.

Your response is exactly in line with the notion that the goal of homework (and of many people) is to squelch creativity and independent thought.

She didn't do the assignment as directed and she was actually quite flip in her remarks to the teacher. That's insubordination. You are given an assignment; you do it. If you have an issue with the assignment, you don't just write a snarky remark back to the teacher.

People that take issue with structure, rules and respect always pull out the "creativity and independent thought" cards. People that say this don't realize that in order to be truly creative there must be rules and respect. You can't just slop something on a paper and say it's creative. Even the most abstract art forms are confined to a framework of accepted rules.