Calgary family negotiates NO homework for kids - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

ricosuave · 11-19-2009, 10:50 PM

So last week, after two years of trying to change the homework policy at the children's school, the two Calgary lawyers finally negotiated a unique legal contract: their kids will never have to do homework again.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...rticle1367357/

WTF is this world coming to?

Dion · 11-19-2009, 10:56 PM

I can't believe how soft kids have become these days. Same should be said for some parents. Guess they don't have enough time to chat on the internet or play with thier Wii or Playstation.

I never had a problem with the homework I was given.

wpgflamesfan · 11-19-2009, 10:59 PM

This is absolutely pathetic. Good on these parents setting their kids up to fail in life.

Otto-matic · 11-19-2009, 10:59 PM

Our education system is going down into the sewer system, what's next getting rid of testing since its unfair to some students. On average probably a student will get maybe 30 minuets of homework a day, the most is probably an hour.

Morons

Quote:

Shelli and Tom Milley were exhausted by the weepy weeknight struggles over math problems and writing assignments with their three school-aged children. They were fed up with rushing home from soccer practice or speed skating only to stand over their kids tossing out answers so they could finish and get to bed.

Then take them out of sports if its becoming a problem, Education should have won this battle.

Dion · 11-19-2009, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wpgflamesfan

This is absolutely pathetic. Good on these parents setting their kids up to fail in life.

Exactly. Just wait until they enter the workforce and they encounter any job stress or overtime. I shake my head in disbelief

calf · 11-19-2009, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

Our education system is going down into the sewer system, what's next getting rid of testing since its unfair to some students.

But some kids can't handle the pressure of tests so don't do as well as their classmates. It's completely unfair

Berger_4_ · 11-19-2009, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

Our education system is going down into the sewer system, what's next getting rid of testing since its unfair to some students. On average probably a student will get maybe 30 minuets of homework a day, the most is probably an hour.

Morons

Then take them out of sports if its becoming a problem, Education should have won this battle.

Exactly. If you can't fit an hour of homework in your evening, you're probably pushing your kid a wee bit too hard.

Tyler · 11-19-2009, 11:15 PM

Good for them. Why should 7 year olds come home after 8 hours and do homework? It's stupid. Teach the kids during the 8 hours you have them, and let them enjoy their evenings for sports or extra curricular activities.

Dion · 11-19-2009, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler

Good for them. Why should 7 year olds come home after 8 hours and do homework? It's stupid. Teach the kids during the 8 hours you have them, and let them enjoy their evenings for sports or extra curricular activities.

I managed to do homework all those activities you mentioned. It can be done.

Otto-matic · 11-19-2009, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler

Good for them. Why should 7 year olds come home after 8 hours and do homework? It's stupid. Teach the kids during the 8 hours you have them, and let them enjoy their evenings for sports or extra curricular activities.

Except these 10,11,18 year old students.

10 and 11 maybe can get some slack but an 18 year old being excused from doing his homework, its setting him up for failure in post secondary.

RW99 · 11-19-2009, 11:25 PM

I agree with the parents. There should be at max one hour of homework till at least the end of junior high. If they can't fit the material into the school schedule then they need to change the schedule or change the curriculum. Repetition can be good, but there's a point where they are just over-worked. I'd rather have a child that has an extra year of school then have them stressed out by age 12.

ricosuave · 11-19-2009, 11:26 PM

Funny how the kids in question have time for extra curricular activities though.

bcb · 11-19-2009, 11:27 PM

Maybe these parents can negotiate a contract with their kids' university as well. Perhaps if and when these kids become employed, the parents can whip out a contract and have the boss agree to "no nights or weekends".

pathetic

HotHotHeat · 11-19-2009, 11:30 PM

I have a better idea. Go live in the slums of a third world country for a week. You can eat garbage, sleep on the ground, and drink sewage water. No homework there! Then come home and weep about homework. I can just picture a spoiled ten year old girl crying about having to do math problems.

Terrible, terrible parenting. Even worse lawyers.

I feel bad for the teacher that has to put up with them.

Puke.

GGG · 11-19-2009, 11:31 PM

Did you guys read the article they sound very resonable and want their kids to learn they just don't want to waste time on Diaramarama.

Quote:

The “differentiated homework plan” spells out the responsibilities of the students: to get their work done in class, to come to school prepared, and prep for quizzes. But their teachers will have to mark them based on what they do in class, and cannot send work home that factors into their grades.

I think that their proposal makes a lot of sense. The goal of homework should be to considered to have people learn what is being taught well enough to learn the concept that has to learned on top of it.

The concept of not being graded on work sent home is an excellant one. Homework should only be required if you don't know the concept. I am not sure though for essay writing or reports in high school. They are probably neccessary.

So I am very much in favor in no regular homework being assigned with older grades being assigned long term projects. Teachers should provide optional assignments to re-enforce what is taught and it should be up to the parent and the child to ensure they know what is required to pass the exams.

bcb · 11-19-2009, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RW99

I agree with the parents. There should be at max one hour of homework till at least the end of junior high. If they can't fit the material into the school schedule then they need to change the schedule or change the curriculum. Repetition can be good, but there's a point where they are just over-worked. I'd rather have a child that has an extra year of school then have them stressed out by age 12.

Even at the high school level, you'd be hard pressed to find a kid who brings home more than an hour of homework per night.

Personally, when I give HW, it is only to reinforce concepts learned in class. It is not meant is 'busy work'.

Most teachers make it so that if students work in class, they can usually complete most of their homework without bringing any home.

If kids decide to goof off and mess around in class, then that's their choice.

I-Hate-Hulse · 11-19-2009, 11:34 PM

This was a great article in TIME this week and I thought it was quite relevant to the topic in general. IMHO, more and more it seems that parents seem to be trying to fight battles for their children, offering them the path of least resistance. I'd argue that solving your own problems is one of the most quintessential skills a child can learn.

All great rebellions are born of private acts of civil disobedience that inspire rebel bands to plot together. And so there is now a new revolution under way, one aimed at rolling back the almost comical overprotectiveness and overinvestment of moms and dads. The insurgency goes by many names — slow parenting, simplicity parenting, free-range parenting — but the message is the same: Less is more; hovering is dangerous; failure is fruitful. You really want your children to succeed? Learn when to leave them alone. When you lighten up, they'll fly higher. We're often the ones who hold them down.

Some teachers talk of "Stealth Fighter Parents," who no longer hover constantly but can be counted on for a surgical strike just when the high school musical is being cast or the starting lineup chosen.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/arti...#ixzz0XLmrONUO

As for the family in question - sounds like they are educated and their kids will likely be too. But will the kids know about hard work, or will they wilt the 1st time their boss says "get it done by tomorrow...or else". I see those kids as three more casualties to the Entitlement Generation. What will they do once they hit University? Workout a homework plan with their Profs? I'd love to see them try that...

photon · 11-19-2009, 11:34 PM

I don't think there's any evidence that homework in the first six years of school has any positive impact on anything.. Instead of homework, have tutoring for the kids that need the help and more family time for the rest.

After that I'm not even sure I'm convinced that homework is really necessary... rather than just assigning work make it oriented around learning (which is the actual goal isn't it?).

I can appreciate the skills portion of the argument for post-secondary, but even then knowing how to work and complete tasks isn't dependent on doing homework, just doing work.

Some of the private schools I've been looking at have that kind of attitude too.

The Homework Myth and The Case Against Homework are two books that are on my list of want-to-reads as they've bee recommended to me by people in or around the private schools I've looked at.

arloiginla · 11-19-2009, 11:35 PM

Discussed this in class today.

People are overreacting. Homework shouldn't be given unless students can't or don't finish assignments in the allotted class time. Excluding the odd big project of course.

bcb · 11-19-2009, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler

Good for them. Why should 7 year olds come home after 8 hours and do homework? It's stupid. Teach the kids during the 8 hours you have them, and let them enjoy their evenings for sports or extra curricular activities.

So in my 1.5 hour math class, once the bell rings, there should be no homework?

Most kids have to do numerous questions to latch onto a math concept.