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Homework time to be mandated in Attleboro
Top Headlines The homework policy would set graduated guidelines, ranging from 10 minutes at the first-grade level to 80 minutes in eighth grade, and an average of 30 minutes per class per night for high school students. The guidelines, which were presented by the committee's policy subcommittee, were tabled earlier this week, and could be formally approved at the next school board meeting. The proposal is the product of a year of research by a special committee advised by Brennan Middle School Assistant Principal Patricia Knox. Under the guidelines, students would be expected to perform homework after school hours and complete their work when assigned. Homework could include reading or writing assignments, practice of classroom skills, tasks to be performed as part of long-term projects and studying for tests and quizzes. In addition to assigned work, every student would be expected to read on a nightly basis. The proposed policy also sets out responsibilities of students, teachers and parents with respect to the homework process and encourages parents to speak to their child's teacher if they have questions or problems regarding homework.
Post Your Comments triborohooligan wrote on May 13, 2008 11:18 AM: " Just another example of the Attleboro school committee trying to suck the childhood out of children. I applaud the stupidity. " paperboy wrote on May 1, 2008 1:28 PM: " I support Kevin H for at least daring to make bold statements, though I may not agree on all of them. I have a family member who is a retired teacher. He often spoke of the lack of preparedness of the students in recent years, the disengagement of parents who were too busy working to live up to peer standards to notice that their kids were not doing well in school, as well as the curriculum that teachers were forced to provided to meet mandated state education testing requirements. I am amazed that homework has gotten to the point that it needs to be "mandated": what happened to the days when a student was accountable for his/her efforts (or lack there of)? When an individual didn't do the assigned homework, it affected the grade for the class and their potential to fail that class (regardless of how you were dressed, whether or not you had breakfast, or what your primary language was...) I fear for the generation coming down the pike - so much distraction and so little accountability. " jose21 wrote on Apr 16, 2008 4:55 PM: " No need to boo-hoo buddy, I'm not bothered by you're ignorance. I find you comical. You're sitting here posting on what parents and teachers need to do so that children get proper educations, and then you make comments within your posts showing you're true colors and how you think of people that don't have the same exact belief as you do. I hope you don't have any children. I'd feel bad for them. " kevin h. wrote on Apr 16, 2008 4:07 PM: " Jose21, I was actually interested in what you wrote so I went to the link. Boo Hoo Jose.
To Celt, Your writing was clear. You backed the teachers union, the status quo, which gives us headlines like: "News Update Many area grads need help in college Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:43 AM EDT" As for the rest of your post, I agree that it is tough for parents to focus their children with all the distraction. As it has always been. What's different now? For one, It's hard to spend as much time with the kids as one would like when BOTH parents need to work in order to pay the taxes that are being extorted out of them in the name of Education. Remember, greater than 50% of the city budget is education. Never mind the state and federal taxes that go to education. The burden is too great to continue. No one is giving money away to us, so the answer is for government to STOP SPENDING SO MUCH!! " celt wrote on Apr 16, 2008 3:27 PM: " First of all Kevin, you don’t have a clue what “my way” is. My point it that education is just part of the overall picture and to blame education and teachers for the general decline is simple minded. People who haven’t read a book in ten years wonder why the schools can’t get their kids to read. Look at the crap kids are watching on TV. Kids probably spend more time with the TV than with their teachers. Look at the stupid talk shows where people yell over each other. Is that how kids learn the art of discourse? While it’s nice to think that all of this disappears once kids are in the class room, it just isn’t so. So my solution is? If you want your kids to read, let them see you reading. If you want you kids to behave politely, then do so yourself, and so on. That’s the way it always has been. " jose21 wrote on Apr 16, 2008 3:21 PM: " Kevin - this post here, 5th from the top, shows the kind of person you are. Everyone has opinions, but you cross the line.
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2008/03/21/news/news1.txt " kevin h. wrote on Apr 16, 2008 2:46 PM: " Sorry, it's spelled curriculum. " kevin h. wrote on Apr 16, 2008 2:42 PM: " Sure Celt, We've done it your way for how long? The result, look where we are. You say teachers need union protections. Ha, Don't make me laugh. Parents are the ones who must deal with the schools. When the kids fail, the teachers cry "More parental involvement.", and when good parents want to opt their kids out of the sexual diversity embracement cirriculum, the same teachers cry "Parents leave us alone, we are professionals, we know best." The truth is they DON'T know best. The fact is they aren't getting the job done. So Celt, Put MY money where your mouth is... What is YOUR brilliant idea to get students educated? Tolerance and diversity? " celt wrote on Apr 16, 2008 1:41 PM: " It’s fine for Kevin to insist that all students must come to school well-groomed, well-fed, and behaving like little ladies and gentlemen but he is living in LaLa Land if he sees that happening anytime soon. And to believe that getting rid of the unions would solve all of society’s problems is naïve to the extreme. It’s clear that teachers need unions to protect themselves from such simple-minded ideas. " jose21 wrote on Apr 16, 2008 1:28 PM: " "jose21, Parents are responsible for the basic English speaking skills of their child" This is doccumented somewhere, or your opinion? " kevin h. wrote on Apr 16, 2008 12:58 PM: " jose21, Parents are responsible for the basic English speaking skills of their child. If they cannot do it, they should get private tutoring. The state should not waste its time on such things. " jose21 wrote on Apr 16, 2008 12:18 PM: " The world according to Kevin.. So what should we do with the kids that don't speak the best english? " kevin h. wrote on Apr 16, 2008 11:28 AM: " Almost forgot the most important thing. The child MUST speak ENGLISH. " kevin h. wrote on Apr 16, 2008 11:16 AM: " To receive public education, it is incumbent on the parents to enroll a child that will come to school fed, clothed appropriately, disciplined, and prepared to learn. Those students who do not act correctly should be removed from the class and disciplined before being allowed back. The schools should not allow the distractions that slow learning for the whole class. " billybear wrote on Apr 16, 2008 10:27 AM: " Mandatory homework is not going to do anything to improve the student's performance. I was under the impression that my money is spent on teachers so they can TEACH the students. In a classroom. Answer questions. Explain it to the kid who doesn't "get it." Don't send the students home to figure it out on their own, or have their parents who are most likely not certified teachers explain the material to them.
The teachers and administrators will have to continue to contend with "helicopter parents." This will not change until the teachers lose their overwhelming outright contempt for the students and their parents. If you ever refer to any of your students as "snowflakes" then you shouldn't be teaching. " skeptic wrote on Apr 16, 2008 9:24 AM: " To khmass - I think a lot of teachers might tell you that you have it backwards. Many parents are too involved in their kids lives, offering them no room for making thier own choices and living by the consequences. Friends who are teachers tell me about the emails and call from parents wanting details of what is going on with their children. These parents are choosing the high school classes for their kids, not just approving the choices. They demand better grades for Suzie and Biff and will be co-authors on their college application essays.
My parents involvement with homework was "Do you have any" and "Get it done" before any other activities. I was in the National Honor Society in high school and Dean's List in college. " khmass wrote on Apr 16, 2008 8:47 AM: " What a novel idea indeed, parents actually being held to have any responsibility for their children. Too many parents think their responsibility ends at conception. The problem isn't only because of unions (sorry Kevin) but also because of parents who are so busy they take no interest in their children. Go to a typical parent teachers night and see how few parents ever show up. I am sure there are some parents who have to work during the time of these meetings, but most simply can't be bothered to make the time. In the end, the children are the losers. " realist wrote on Apr 16, 2008 8:47 AM: " Isn't it quality, not quantity? As one with experience as an educator at the college level (don't worry I teach technology, not English) I know homework is important to help reinforce the lessons of the day. It's also a good habit to develop for those going to college. However, busy-work homework just sours the students on the idea of studying outside of school and that's what a lot of mandatory homework is, busy-work. I think that homework time should be a variable. Some of my students can knock off 5 computer problems in a 1/2 hour. The same students will study for 5 or 6 hours before a final in my class. " kevin h. wrote on Apr 16, 2008 8:36 AM: " Teacher assisted classwork isn't educating the children well enough, so try more homework. Heck, just get it over with and homeschool the kids, and scrap the whole union driven education system. Give the tax money back to the parents. Set up diploma testing centers.
Teachers could break free of the union and be free agents. Parents would hire teachers, or private teaching groups would set up small efficient schools... for profit. It's just like driving schools, you have a choice. Excellence would drive the market, not union greed. " Harry Hindsight wrote on Apr 16, 2008 7:39 AM: " What a novel idea, students being required to complete their work when assigned. Does this mean that until now they did not have to do their work, it was optional? Sorry Soxfan, but if parents are not to be responsible for their children, then they have no right being parents in the first place. It is not the schools responsibility to ensure that students are doing their work, it is only their responsibility to provide an environment for which education is to be provided. A teacher provides the information, as long as a majority of the students grasp the knowledge, their job is sucessfull. Not all students grasp everthing, that is why there are failing and passing grades. Let the students study on their own at home, they need to be able to achieve and fail to be able to adjust their learning habits to each teacher and class. Much like those that are employed adjust their working habits to each boss and job. " Soxfan wrote on Apr 16, 2008 5:42 AM: " The only problem I see with this plan is that, commonly, those children who would benefit most from such a program are in homes where, for a variety of reasons: multiple jobs, parents working shift work, etc., there is limited parental involvement with regard to school work. The plan appears to be designed to put a lot of responsibility on the parents to ensure compliance. I applaud the school committee for looking at different approaches. " or
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