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Author Topic: Dist. 30 parents want less homework?  (Read 2492 times)

Offline toddg

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Dist. 30 parents want less homework?
« on: December 12, 2007, 03:20:35 PM »
Here's an odd news item from the Queens Gazette.  What's this about?  Why is a bit of homework so terrible?

http://www.qgazette.com/news/2007/1212/Political_Page/

Queens Gazette
December 12, 2007
Political Page

SCHOOL PARENTS BACK VALLONE ON HOMEWORK: The local public school District 30 President's Council (PC), covering schools in Astoria, Long Island City and Jackson Heights, has passed a resolution supporting City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. in calling for a limit on nightly homework assignments.

Under the plan, the Department of Education would cap homework for grade school students at a maximum of two hours a night and leave one night a week free of any homework.

Vallone said the homework bill will be introduced in about two weeks.

The President's Council resolution goes beyond Vallone's guidelines, adding a two-hour homework limit for middle and high school students as well. As for elementary schools, the PC calls for about 10 minutes of homework per grade, which Vallone said he supports, and says that homework assignments should only reinforce a day's lesson and not be assigned for further teaching by parents at home.

"The unanimous vote reaffirms my conviction that students are burdened with too much homework," said Vallone.

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Offline NYCMacUser

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Re: Dist. 30 parents want less homework?
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2007, 12:08:47 AM »
This is the same Councilperson who proposed breed-specific (banning) legislation. This year Pit Bulls, next year Poodles.

If his daughter has trouble with her homework, and it takes her 4 hours to get it done, perhaps her parents might consider a tutor. We no longer have heterogeneous classroom settings. All NYC Public grade and middle schools are homogeneous settings. Therefore, the teachers must teach to the brightest students in their classroom.

Of course the parents are going to agree with this nonsense. That way they don't have to be bothered helping their children with homework.

I dedicated a portion of every day, including weekends, to helping my children with schoolwork issues.

Between the parents and this Councilperson is it any wonder that NYC turns out children who aren't ready for higher education?
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Offline pkelly

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Re: Dist. 30 parents want less homework?
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2007, 09:32:31 AM »
You stated in your response that all NYC Public Middle School classrooms were grouped homogeneously.  That is incorrect, the DOE requires elementry and middle schools to be grouped heterogeneously, that is students with a mixed level of abilities.  Although you will find that many schools disregard that and group according to level.  This can be very successful if done with the proper care and data.
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