I’ve written about Needham, Massachusetts high school in this blog before (here and here) and I was happy to see an article in today’s New York Times, titled “A Principal Who Cracks Down on Stress.” The principal, Paul Richards, whom I interviewed for The Case Against Homework, has, among other things, asked teachers to haveContinue reading “Needham, Massachusetts High School in the Forefront of Reducing Student Stress”
Category Archives: Resources
Lack of Sleep Affects Cognitive Development
There’s a good article in last week’s New York Magazine on the importance of sleep and how decreased sleep in children and teenagers affects academic performance and emotional stability. Read the article here.
China Moves Away from Drilling and Testing
Here’s an interesting article from Education Week which discusses how educators in China are trying to move away from the rote memorization that has characterized much of the education system. “China’s government is…seeking to inject more American-style flexibility into its math and science curriculum, by placing less emphasis on exams and more focus on cultivatingContinue reading “China Moves Away from Drilling and Testing”
Guest Blogger: The Importance of Getting a Break
Today’s guest blogger is Kate McReynolds, a child clinical psychologist who is currently the Assistant Editor of Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice. I met Kate while working on The Case Against Homework and, whenever I get the opportunity to talk to her, or read her writing, I feel lucky to spend time withContinue reading “Guest Blogger: The Importance of Getting a Break”
Ohio School District, Continued
I had a conversation today with Steve Price, the School Superintendent of Middletown, Ohio, where school board members are considering a policy which would eliminate the grading of homework. Price, who supports the policy, is hearing from parents who think it’s a bad idea. From the editorial in the local newspaper, you’d think the schoolContinue reading “Ohio School District, Continued”
Ohio School District Considers Eliminating Homework Grade
I’m interested to see what happens in the Middletown, Ohio, School District, where school board members are deciding on a policy amendment that would eliminate grading on homework assignments. Although the Board thinks homework is “very important,” the removal of the grade is to ensure that teachers grade students for their work, not the workContinue reading “Ohio School District Considers Eliminating Homework Grade”
Australian Author Rails Against Homework
In an article in The Sydney Morning Herald, Daniel Donahoo, the author of Idolising Children, a book slated to come out in the United States in August, has much to say about the perils of homework. Much homework is the antithesis of holistic learning because it brings the constraints and limitations of the education systemContinue reading “Australian Author Rails Against Homework”
A Respite from Homework
In a recent column, a New York reporter who spent a few months in South Africa, writes about experiencing a school system without homework: I cannot overstate the feeling of levity that has descended upon my family. [My children] are spending more time playing chess, Boggle, and Scrabble. They are spending more time talking toContinue reading “A Respite from Homework”
Guest Blogger: There’s No Time for High School Students to Do Hours of Homework Each Night
When I was in Chicago at the AERA conference two weeks ago, I was on a panel with Chris Ellsasser, an associate professor of education at Pepperdine University, a high school English teacher, and the founder of a group of progressively-minded teachers known as the Mad Tea Educators. Chris approaches homework by asking high schoolContinue reading “Guest Blogger: There’s No Time for High School Students to Do Hours of Homework Each Night”
More Homework Won’t Equal More Proficiency in Math and Science
According to an article in Education Week, Pennsylvania State University researcher, Gerald K. LeTendre, has published a new paper in which he again finds that more homework is not associated with higher levels of average national achievement. “’The paper is a preliminary investigation with some fairly common-sense warnings not to start promoting or demoting homework’Continue reading “More Homework Won’t Equal More Proficiency in Math and Science”
Stop Homework 