L.A. Unified's new homework policy gives students a break

[The Northerner]

Homework will now count for only 10% of a student's grade. Critics — mostly teachers — worry the policy will encourage students to slack off assigned work and even reward those who already disregard assignments.

Vanessa Perez was a homework scofflaw. The Marshall High School senior didn't finish all of it — largely because she worked 24 hours a week at a Subway sandwich shop.

Alvaro Ramirez, a junior at the Santee Education Complex, doesn't have his own room and his mother baby-sits young children at night. "They're always there and they're always loud," he said, explaining his challenges with homework.

The nation's second-largest school system has decided to give students like these a break. A new policy decrees that homework can count for only 10% of a student's grade.

Critics — mostly teachers — worry that the policy will encourage students to slack off assigned work and even reward those who already disregard assignments. And they say it could penalize hardworking students who receive higher marks for effort.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-homework-20110627,0,2416846,full.story

[villager]

1. Of course, the amounts of homework have become insane -- perhaps this will temper that

Now, if they could just do something about the arid "teaching to the test" that goes on during the school day!

[MadHound]

2. Once again, non-experts deciding what the experts should do,

This is a very telling statement right here:
"They say, too, that students who do their homework perform significantly better than those who don't — a view supported by research."

But LA school district will ignore the experts, the teachers, the research and do what they think is best.

We're raising an entire generation that is going to be ignorant and uneducated. Then we'll turn the world over to them.

[ejpoeta]

3. my daughter's school (she's only in middle school) limits homework).

they do most of it during the school day. they also can stay after if they need to and come home on the late bus . Emily has had to do that twice during the school year because she didn't do her homework. I have very strict rules regarding homework but had trusted her to be honest about having homework and doing it. She only ever had one or two things once in awhile she brought home to do. How hard is that!!

I think homework is important, but homework just for the sake of giving homework is not helpful. You can give homework and not have it be two hours worth and have it be useful. Kids have other responsibilities besides school unfortunately. If they could have time available at school for them to get that work done it probably would help. I know that's asking a lot all things considered, but it probably would help some of the students. Instead of just making it count for less of the grade. I understand schools are working with difficult situations here, but it's like NYS requiring all the students to take regents and then because they don't have the money just not giving them the tests. Fucking idiots. Sorry. not the same thing. total tangent.