The Toronto committee formed to reassess homework unanimously passed the proposed new policy. The proposal will be put to a vote before the entire School Board on April 16. Frank Bruni, a parent who has been a driving force for change, made a presentation in support of the proposed policy at the Committee meeting. Here’sContinue reading “Proposal to Scale Back on Homework in Toronto Unanimously Passes Committee Vote”
Category Archives: Success Stories
Iowa School District Begins to Eliminate the Zero as a Grade
A few blog entries ago, I wrote about how assigning a grade of zero is unfair and should be abolished. Now, a School District in Iowa has begun abolishing the zero. When the Superintendent visited the high schools last week, she suggested that an F range from 50 to 60 instead of zero to 60.Continue reading “Iowa School District Begins to Eliminate the Zero as a Grade”
High School Teacher Explains Why He Doesn’t Assign Homework Revisited
Last March, I provided a link to the blog of a high school math teacher near Santa Cruz, California. The teacher, Dan Meyer, explained why he doesn’t assign homework. I dropped back in on his blog entry recently, and discovered that there were close to 80 comments, all worth reading. Read “Why I Don’t AssignContinue reading “High School Teacher Explains Why He Doesn’t Assign Homework Revisited”
Great News: Wyoming Elementary School Continues No-Homework Practice
I just learned from Christine Hendricks, the principal of Grant Elementary School in Glenrock, Wyoming, that her school, which implemented a no-homework practice in September, is going to continue its practice for the foreseeable future. After a trial run, and surveying the parents, Hendricks shared her findings with the School Board. Among other things, theContinue reading “Great News: Wyoming Elementary School Continues No-Homework Practice”
Needham, Massachusetts High School in the Forefront of Reducing Student Stress
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”
Norwalk, Connecticut, Board of Education Considers Homework Policy Change
The policy committee of the Norwalk, Connecticut, Board of Education, is considering updating its policy on homework. According to The Stamford Advocate, the proposed policy states: “‘Homework should never be assigned as a punishment, nor should it be removed as a reward in order to avoid the negative perception of homework.” The report recommends: *Continue reading “Norwalk, Connecticut, Board of Education Considers Homework Policy Change”
Another Palo Alto Elementary School Takes a Look at Homework
When parents at Addison Elementary School in Palo Alto, California, brought to their principal’s attention the reduction of homework at Oak Knoll Elementary in Menlo Park, the principal responded by refining its homework policy as well. According to an article in Palo Alto online, the principal stated, “”I was blindsided about the anxiety that seemsContinue reading “Another Palo Alto Elementary School Takes a Look at Homework”
More Schools are Cutting Back on Homework
According to the San Jose Mercury News, some San Francisco Bay area schools are responding to the requests of elementary and middle-school parents to cut back on homework. The Oak Knoll Elementary school in Menlo Park has mostly banned homework, except reading, occasional projects or catch-up work. Bubb Elementary, in Mountain View relaxed its homeworkContinue reading “More Schools are Cutting Back on Homework”
Needham, Massachusetts, Principal Tries to Ease Burden for High School Students
When I started this blog last summer, one of my first entries was about schools that had cut back on summer homework. There, I wrote about the principal of Needham High, Paul Richards (whom I had interviewed for The Case Against Homework), an educator who’s concerned about the amount of stress today’s students face. PaulContinue reading “Needham, Massachusetts, Principal Tries to Ease Burden for High School Students”
Some Highly Competitive Schools are Reducing Homework Loads
According to an article by a Wall Street Journal reporter, some of the most elite elementary and high schools across the country are changing their homework policies, limiting the amount of work assigned by teachers or eliminating it altogether in lower grades. In Greenville, South Carolina, the 74-school district reduced the amount of time studentsContinue reading “Some Highly Competitive Schools are Reducing Homework Loads”
Stop Homework 