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Sunday, August 28, 2016

Second Grade Teacher's New Homework Policy

Teacher Brandy Young has established a brand new "No Homework" policy for the school year. The second-grade teacher at Godley Elementary School in Texas sent out a letter explaining the policy.

Is this a good or bad policy in your opinion? 

20 comments:

Paladin said...

Dear Readers,

With nearly 30 years of professional public school experience under my belt, I can unequivocally share with you the following:

I have not read a white paper, or formal research paper on homework that showed any real benefit to homework with regard to academic progress in the K-8 space. The statistics are far different in the 9-12 space. This includes the skewed research that AFT and NEA have produced.

This teacher is showing real foresight in utilizing data culled from the last several years to sharpen her best practices for meaningful learning.

I can only hope that local school administrators review this, as well as the research associated with her decision, and apply it locally. At this time, there are many school districts in the Mid-Atlantic region that are adopting formal policies reflective of this. Frankly, it has been my personal and professional experience that families are globally very stressed, and additional time to enjoy and build upon the family unit will only benefit both families and the community at large.

Best Regards,

Paladin

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a wise teacher. If they finish work in class and she teaches properly, they will learn. The problem is, how many students will go home to families that will eat, read and play together?

Anonymous said...

I think it is great
School is for learning

Anonymous said...

I think if a child is having trouble in a certain subject like reading or math, homework can be very beneficial.
I remember going over spelling and the times tables each night during my elementary school years. I did this with my children. If they didn't do this, I think they would have failed or would have done poorly in school.
Class time doesn't always cover everything. Sometimes you need reinforcement of what you learned through homework.
I don't think it should be something that takes hours, but at least an hour or two each night. My parents made me read to them during my childhood years. Even Newspaper articles. I believe this helped a great deal with reading comprehension.

Anonymous said...

I hope that the family interaction described will actually occur.

Anonymous said...

I know one Science Teacher over at SMS that could give some kids a break. She overwhelms her students with waaaaaay too much homework and then has the nerve to have students check it in class so she doesnt have to. I truly pity the kids in her class. Excessive to say the least.

Anonymous said...

They will be woefully unprepared for college.

Anonymous said...

There is a thing called teaching a work ethic. This policy will further the decline in the work ethic of these kids graduating from school

Anonymous said...

This teacher is brilliant.
I know that is a complete over reaction to such a basic common sense decision on her part.
But by comparison, she is brilliant!

Anonymous said...

4:22 No the curriculum will take care of that. Nothing to do with homework.

Anonymous said...

Teachers who give a lot of homework want the parents to help do their job. Giving excessive homework is lazy.

Anonymous said...

3:56 PM I concur. My parents checked my homework every evening to ensure I had the proper understanding and had followed directions. My parents also drilled math problems and spelling with me. Did I always like it? The honest answer was, "no" however I learned, I studied and I did very well in school and college.

I believe SOME homework helps to re-enforce the work or lecturing done in the classroom and actually helps to fine tune the skill not only of the subject being taught but how to problem solve and reason.

Once the child leaves high school for college or even an honorable profession in the classes taught in shop, they will have at least a fighting chance on how to study, what key elements to look for when researching a subject and how to think and reason for one's self without the frustration and poor attitude toward work.

Anonymous said...

You failed at your job! Public schools are a complete nightmare. People like you paved the way.

Anonymous said...

If you don't like your kids teacher hire a private investigator to follow for a month or two. A lot of teachers are complete screw ups. Pictures are worth a thousand words.

Anonymous said...


Couple of salient points are possible:

Student only ends up finishing at home what they didn't complete in class. Puts the parents on notice that at least on that day their kid was lagging.

Since there is no homework, to speak of, to collect, review, inventory, etc. there is actually more class time for the material being presented, and for students to complete the day's work.

Eliminates all of the end of marking period jockeying to find, complete and return missing HW for some credit.

When parents use online resources to check on their kid much more likely to find current info.

Might not work across the board in every subject but the data on how her students perform should be worth collecting and reviewing.

Anonymous said...

You can not be serious. Have you experienced the wcboe idea of a challenging curriculum? It would be laughable if it were not so sad.
Our children are not prepared for college life at all.
There has be a college student that reads this site who can chime in with the expectations of college.
No homework? We are contiuning the downward spiral of American education.
Very sad.

Anonymous said...

There is no homework because because students are constantly being prepped for testing. No real teaching is going on. Just prepped for testing so they can get their federal money.
I didn't enjoy doing homework as a child, but I knew it was necessary to help with problems I was having in certain courses. Students are not prepared for College. That's why so many students have to take remedial courses in Math, and grammar to catch up.
So glad my kids are out of the public school system. I had them in Private school during their elementary school years and they were way ahead of the other students when they started in Middle school because I could no longer afford the tuition.
I can definitely say, comparing both the public and privates schools, it was like night and day. Parents had a say and were totally updated and involved. If a kid caused trouble or bullied a kid, he or she was kicked out of school. Didn't have police there either!!!!!

Anonymous said...

You're an idiot.

Anonymous said...

Could you help with new math if that was homework? I could not!

Anonymous said...

9:29
Since you have no defensible answer and wish to call people an idiot, you must be a liberal or a BOE loving teacher!!!!