Category Archives: Moms (and Dads) on a Mission

Today, Frank Bruni, the moving force behind Toronto, Canada’s family-friendly homework policy, writes about how the year-old homework policy is working. You can read Frank’s earlier entries here, here, here and here. My Thoughts on the Anniversary of Toronto’s Adoption of its New Homework Policy by Frank Bruni April 16, 2009 It is one yearContinue reading “Moms (and Dads) on a Mission–Update from Toronto, Canada”

A few weeks ago, Psych Mom, the mother of a second grader in Halifax, Nova Scotia, wrote about why she wasn’t going to make her daughter do any upcoming creative projects and how she was trying to reduce her daughter’s homework load. She provides an update: “Update on the reading homework my 7 year oldContinue reading “Moms (and Dads) on a Mission–More from Halifax, Nova Scotia”

This coming Monday, April 6, is the first Monday of the month. As I suggest every month in this blog, I hope you’ll send a note expressing your thoughts about homework to your children’s teachers or, perhaps, to a school administrator or School Board member. Even better, join with a few friends and send aContinue reading “First Monday”

Before the day was over, the mom in yesterday’s blog post received a phone call from the principal telling her no parent had ever before complained about the project. And then the mom received an email from the teacher. Below is an excerpt: The Teacher Responds to a Parent’s Concerns about Edible Art Projects …IContinue reading “Moms (and Dads) on a Mission–Edible Projects (Part 2)”

Below is a letter a New York City mother sent to her son’s sixth grade public school teacher after her ex-husband told her that the edible projects at the class’s ancient Greek and Rome festival looked as though they had been made by pastry chefs. A few days before the project was due, the motherContinue reading “Moms (and Dads) on a Mission–Edible Art Project”

In yesterday’s blog post, Aurora DeMarco of Brooklyn, New York, wrote about how she organized parents in her daughter’s first-grade class to get a reduced homework load. Here’s the letter the parents wrote to the School Leadership Team (SLT). Letter to School Leadership Team by First Grade Parents in Brooklyn, New York There is growingContinue reading “Moms (and Dads) on a Mission–Brooklyn, New York (Part 2)”

Today’s guest blogger, Aurora DeMarco, lives in Brooklyn, New York, where her 10th- and 1st-graders attend public school. Aurora recently decided to get together some of the first grade parents to see whether they could change homework policy at her school. My First Grader is Overloaded with Worksheets by Aurora DeMarco I was shocked atContinue reading “Moms (and Dads) on a Mission–Brooklyn, New York (Part 1)”

Today’s guest blogger, the mother of a second grader, lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She holds a masters degree in psychology and works full time doing psychometric testing of adults. She says that “these credentials did not prepare her for second grade homework.” Why My Second Grader Won’t Be Doing Any More Projects by PsychContinue reading “Moms (and Dads) on a Mission–Halifax, Nova Scotia”

I recently received a letter from a single dad in Montana who would like to meet other parents nearby who are also fed up with homework. So if you live in Montana, drop me a line, and I’ll try to put you in touch with each other. Dear Sara, I’m a single father of aContinue reading “From my Mailbox: A Single Father Speaks Out”