Category Archives: Moms (and Dads) on a Mission

Child Counselor Protests Homework in Arizona

A child counselor from Arizona who believes that children shouldn’t be given homework before sixth grade has taken to the streets to protest homework. According to azfamily.com, the counselor, who is leading the weeklong protest at a street corner, doesn’t think children should be given homework before sixth grade. “They’re already getting in trouble inContinue reading “Child Counselor Protests Homework in Arizona”

Letter to the Editor of a Local Newspaper

Today’s post is a letter that appeared in the Sackville Tribune Post on May 8, 2007. I’ve been corresponding with the author, Amanda Cockshutt, since the publication of The Case Against Homework and Amanda and I were on a Canadian radio program together in the Fall. Amanda, who lives in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada, isContinue reading “Letter to the Editor of a Local Newspaper”

Guest Blogger: Senior Dad Goes to Homework.

For many months, I’ve been corresponding with Stan Goldberg, also known as Senior Dad. Stan, who lives in the Bay Area, has his own podcast and has many interviews with educators and other experts that are well worth listening to. Here, he talks about his own perspective on homework and also how he has approachedContinue reading “Guest Blogger: Senior Dad Goes to Homework.”

Guest Blogger: Story from the Trenches–Part 2

Here’s an update from Lisa Grady, the parent from southern California who writes about what she’s doing to try to change homework policy in her fourth-grader’s public school. In Lisa’s first guest blog entry, she told us about a comprehensive presentation she gave to the fourth grade teachers at her school. (I’m on vacation thisContinue reading “Guest Blogger: Story from the Trenches–Part 2”

Guest Blogger: Story from the Trenches–Part 1

Today I’d like to introduce Lisa Grady, the parent of a fourth-grader from a community of 35,000 in southern California. Lisa is the co-chair of a committee which formed to raise the issue of homework in the fourth grade. Although you might want to turn to The Case Against Homework to learn the research andContinue reading “Guest Blogger: Story from the Trenches–Part 1”

From My Mailbox: Fourth-Grade Parents in One School in Southern California Begin to Organize

I recently heard from Lisa Grady, a parent of a fourth-grader from a community of 35,000 in southern California, who helped to form a group of fourth-grade parents in her pre-K – 5 elementary school. The group calls itself “For the Love of Learning” and has a mission statement: “To partner with our teachers toContinue reading “From My Mailbox: Fourth-Grade Parents in One School in Southern California Begin to Organize”

Inspiration from Australia

The president of the Tasmanian State School Parents and Friends in Australia (an independent community based organization formed in 1947 to represent the parents of children participating in state school education within Tasmania) has started a campaign to stop teachers from assigning homework in elementary and high schools. According to an article in