honor student sues to end summer homework

[Nevada]

okay...I thought honors students were encouraged to continue their studies during the summer....when did it become mandatory? Not sure on how I feel about this...I can see the kids issue with it, but if they were forewarned....

Wisconsin honors student sues school to end summer homework


MILWAUKEE (AP) — A student whose vacation plans were spoiled has sued to end summer homework in Wisconsin, claiming it creates an unfair workload and unnecessary stress.

Peer Larson, 17, had lined up a dream camp counselor job last June, but honors pre-calculus homework turned his summer into a headache.

"It didn't completely ruin my summer, but it did give me a lot of undue stress both at home and at work," the high school junior said Thursday. "I just didn't have the energy or the time for it."

Larson and his father sued in Milwaukee County Circuit Court seeking the end of summer homework across the state. They argue that homework shouldn't be required after the required 180-day school year is over.


"These students are still children, yet they are subjected to increasing pressure to perform to ever-higher standards in numerous theaters," the suit said.

School administrators have told the family that honors courses require some summer work.

Whitnall School Superintendent Karen Petric told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the district did its best to address the Larsons' concerns.

"I strongly believe the district acted appropriately and didn't do anything wrong," she said. "Court is not the place to solve it."

While students will probably root for the Larsons, lawyers contacted Thursday questioned the suit's legal grounds. Larson and his son had acted as their own legal counsel.

"This is the sort of thing that has been traditionally handled by school boards," said attorney Thomas R. Schrimpf. Another attorney, Timothy Baldwin, predicted the case would be dismissed.

The Jan. 10 lawsuit names a math teacher, three school administrators and the state's superintendent of public instruction. Wisconsin's attorney general's office will assign a lawyer to respond to the suit, said spokesman Brian Rieselman.

[Bonnie Strangeways]

Larson and his father sued in Milwaukee County Circuit Court seeking the end of summer homework across the state. They argue that homework shouldn't be required after the required 180-day school year is over.


"These students are still children, yet they are subjected to increasing pressure to perform to ever-higher standards in numerous theaters," the suit said.


Hmm, it's for reasons like this that our country's at the bottom of the curve as far as education goes around the world.

Most country's require students to attend school year-round, with minimal holiday releases, and they attend school for more hours of the day than our children as well.

Case - in- point, my 5 year old came home the other day, and I asked how his school day went. I asked what did he do for the day (they only go for half the day) and this was his responce:

"We read a story, we went to recess, we painted a picture, we played a game, we went to recess, we came home."

I checked with the school, this is the *approved* cirriculum for the Kindergarten classes. I was horrified.

[Nevada]

shoot...I remember learning abc's and word/picture association..dont they do that anymore?

[Jessa]

Children don't need to put in super-long hours of homework in order to learn things. Our education system is not at the bottom of the heap due to short hours - its due to the waste the takes place during those hours. Bonnie's child's class is a good example.

Kids minds are ripe for learning. All one has to do is is give them a real curriculum on basic subjects like math, science and reading, and then actually require that the students pay attention in class and complete their tests and homework. One can graduate public highschool and barely be able to read at all. Making the kids do summer homework won't fix that. Making them do their regular school-year homework might.

Long hours aren't needed for honors classes, either. If a student is particularly good at a subject (like math), then they should be placed in an honors/advanced class. Advanced placement isn't supposed to be the same class with more homework - its supposed to cover different, more advanced subject matter. Students who take these classes don't want to be given extra busy-work - that's why they got out of the basic classes. If they need to study extra to keep up, that should be up the to individual student.

[justLori]

Children don't need to put in super-long hours of homework in order to learn things. Our education system is not at the bottom of the heap due to short hours - its due to the waste the takes place during those hours. Bonnie's child's class is a good example.

Kids minds are ripe for learning. All one has to do is is give them a real curriculum on basic subjects like math, science and reading, and then actually require that the students pay attention in class and complete their tests and homework. One can graduate public highschool and barely be able to read at all. Making the kids do summer homework won't fix that. Making them do their regular school-year homework might.

Long hours aren't needed for honors classes, either. If a student is particularly good at a subject (like math), then they should be placed in an honors/advanced class. Advanced placement isn't supposed to be the same class with more homework - its supposed to cover different, more advanced subject matter. Students who take these classes don't want to be given extra busy-work - that's why they got out of the basic classes. If they need to study extra to keep up, that should be up the to individual student.

Well said, Jessa. While in undergrad I did a comparison ofthe time spent in the classroom of children around the world. Yes the kids in Japan and Germany have year-round school--they also take whole months off at a time (as is also reflected in my current job--try getting hold of anyone in Europe during December). While they attend year-round, they are spending an average of 10 more days in the classroom than US kids. It's what they do with that time, as Jessa says, that counts.

I've talked to coworkers who worked in the Germany facility--it's a very different climate in the office there. No wandering and chatting, no pausing to catch up with people while coming back from the bathroom, nada. You go, you work, you leave. I'm assuming (bad Lori!) that this work ethic is picked up in school.

I am an advocate of year-round school, in quarters, with about two or three weeks between each quarter. Having summers off is a leftover from our agricultural background--when the kids were needed in the fields to supply the food they needed for the winter. I think kids would retain information better, teachers would not need to use the first few weeks as "review" from the last year, and kids would be more prepared for the "real world" when they graduate (meaning that they wouldn't bemoan the large chunk of free time they've lost). By having quarters, the kids stillget vacations, and parents have a choice of when to have that vacation--off-seasons at Disney or exotic places (which would become a thing of the past), or taking the family vacation when it's ski season, or when whatever the family likes to do is in season.

Yeah, it's a pet peeve of mine. Now, could someone help me off of this soapbox?

just Lori

[saphoenixsilver]

I went to a year round school in eigth grade, then attended the traditional year when I started high school. Most students hear year round and think that its going to be terrible, I did at first, but when I went back to school my freshman year, I realized that it was better. Only having a month off in between the two semesters helped me retain the information better. I also don't have a high opinion of the curriculum set down for most schools.

I attended a magnet high school, Health Careers, and got a much better education for it. Our campus was smaller, and so were our classes, but the amount of work we got was insane compared to my cousin who attended regular high school. I hate the fact that the government is happy if a child can barely read, barely do math, and barely write. I think that if the quality of education was raised it would be much better. I do NOT blame the faculties at these schools, because I'm sure that they would agree. I doubt that they like teaching so that students can pass a single test adminstered by the state. Up until the end of my junior year, when we got the results of this test, that was all we heard, but not all we were taught. In a normal high school here though that is the focus. But back to the subject, suing the school because of "undue stress of summer homework"? That is just crazy. This ensures that the student doesn't forget everything that they are taught. Those people need to just get a grip and realize it's for the child's own good, and that is why the school does it.

[Keeley135]

I attended and my kids now attend a year round ele. school. They have classes for 9 weeks and then they have 3 weeks off and in the summer they have 5-6 weeks off. it is great! They kids don't forget as much so the teachers don't have to spend as much time reviewing, just when the kids start to get a little fried, it's time for a bread. Just when mom is getting a little fried with all the kids home, it's time to go back to school! I am really dreading middle school, it't s 9 months/3 months. I don't think my son will handle the change well!!

[Cassandra from VTRF]

From what I remember about my high school, is that for every hour of class time expect an hour of homework. Does that sound about right?

[saphoenixsilver]

In some schools yes, I know I expected about that much but in my cousin's school, we lived together at the time so I knew how much homework she had, she had maybe 15-30 minutes worth of homework for each hour. And she still was whining about the amount, and wanting me to help or do her work.

[Pathos]

Geez...in my day being smarter than everyone else meant you could do LESS than everyone else and still excel. My how the times are a' changing! :cry:

[Gemdrite]

From what I remember about my high school, is that for every hour of class time expect an hour of homework. Does that sound about right?

Not quite. For grades 1-12, it is ten minutes for every grade level. In college, it is one hour in, one hour out. Course, I found it rather pathetic that my first grade brother last year was spending as much time doing homework as I, a college student, was spending. And I wasn't spending an hour in, an hour out, but I would have about 2 hours worth of homework a day. I agree that schools need to better use their time, and summer homework bites when you have a job.

Just because families are forewarned about summer work doesn't mean we should accept it. I took AP classes for two reasons; A. the teachers teaching the regular courses knew less than I did, honestly, and I actually wanted to LEARN something in school, and B. those courses that I took cost me $75 dollars apiece. In college, they would cost me about $400 a piece, and would have cost me even more in room and board and tuition fees, as I would have been in college for 4 and a half years instead of 4. I couldn't afford NOT to take those classes.

[*Gremco]

Some of the problems I see in our education system is how the government is doing standardized testing. All through school, months have been taken out of regular coursework so we could be taught how to pass the test. When test grades started dropping, they lowered the standards instead of improving the educational system.

[Mistress Kristi]

Now I think I have to disagree with the homework thing. I think that if you are in an honors program you should come to class the first day prepared. I was in honors history and english in high school and in both classes I had homework during the summer every year. I had to read several books and write papers. It kept my mind active and working throughout the summer. It comes with the territory. If he didn't want the responsibility he shouldn't have joined the honors program. Being an honors student looks really good on college applications but to get that you have to work for it, and if that includes summer work suck it up or get out.

[MaidMarion]

I don't know, I'm only 23 so I haven't been out of school that long. There were times in high school I had so much homework, I didn't get to bed untill 4-5 in the mourning if at all. Not to mention the weight of all those books in your backpack. no wonder I got scoliosis in 5th grade.

The late nights and me being a zombie in the mourning was just as stressfull on my parents.

Granted, I have a learning disability, so it took me a little longer than others. though I was given a REDUECED amount of homework because of it. but I know I wasn't the only one who was up untill all hours trying to finish 5 subjects worth of work. I had friends in Honors classes who had it worse.


K.J.

[Susie Sweetz]

I have 3 children. My oldest is in 4th grade and he has Homework every night that takes him almost 2 hrs. to complete. About 50 questions in math plus writing assignments and a monthly project he has work on little by little.

My 3rd grader also has monthly projects but this month he has tests so he gets a break this week from homework.

My kindergartner is learning how to read little books, write letters and figure out to spell phonetically.

School is getting harder!

[Kae]

School is not harder, there is just more we have to teach. Each generation adds to the knowledge of the last and the new one is expected to know all the others. On top of that, teachers are responsible for ensuring each student pass a "state test" and be prepared for college. Not all students are college bound. It is ridiculous to force students to take advanced math, when they have no intention of going to college. Which the "No Child Left Behind" Act requires.

As for summer homework, until we go to year round school or a system more closely related to other countries, it will continue. As it is, I spend a minimum of 3 weeks reviewing/reteaching the previous year information. I must then go on the fast track to stay on pace of where we are supposed to be at. If the class is an honors or an AP class, the students are warned in advance that there will be a larger workload. They choose the course. The summer workload keeps their minds engaged and working. It means the teacher does not have to review so much and that the students do not go through the "I am back in school" shock. Colleges require more from honors and AP students, they must be prepared to give more.

As for kindergarten students having so much homework, you need to talk with the teachers - unless you are in a special or private program. However, many of the younger grades are making up for the lack of instruction given at home -whether it be on behavior, social etiquette or what a book is. I do not mean that all parents are like that, but I know that I see that even in high school kids. I can't imagine what it would be like in little ones. I don't want to.

Kae

[Blue Pixie]

Personally I did year round college- and I thought it was better (even though I should have had more breaks), personally I think it made me remember more because of it. I think year round schooling will be better for kids and parents.

[Larkspur]

I was a GT student in High School, the main focus of our program was English, both grammar and literature, and Social Studies. My other classes were all honors. The GT classes started out as Lecture/Test to somewhat prepare us for College, essays were more prolific than multiple choice homework assignments. After the first grading period, the parents of the 'Top Ten' students were flipping out because of the drop in their GPA's. So, they made this magnet program change the curriculum to repitive homework, that was graded, instead of an actually prepatory class that it should've been.

I have lamented the loss of that class for years. I was smarter than most of my teachers, mainly because they were burnt out from being told what to teach, how to teach and that was in the days of corporal punishment, before kids were 'doped' to accomplish basic tasks.

My ADD wasn't diagnosed until I was an adult, i.e., about a year ago, and I qualify for Mensa. I certainly can't blame the education system for making me smart, other than genetics, my Mom and Nanny hold that honor. Providing a stimulating learning environment before that was 'THE' thing to do.

There is no revamping the current education system. It needs to be replaced. I have lived overseas, and saw happy, intelligent children that were not interested in what the other was wearing, or how much that handbag cost. And a dress code wasn't in place, the import in those things took third or fourth place to learning and improving themselves. And the stress to over perform also was missing.

I like the idea of year-round, though I never attended one. The research is sound and I believe that if we teach our children a more rounded curriculum they will teach their children as well, and learning won't be this burden it has become to today's youth.

I was blessed with learned adults in my life, no matter what is wrong with the system, it will always start at home. Manners and interaction are not the teacher's responsibility, and no child, save learning impaired, should go to Kindergarten without knowing letters, numbers, colors and shapes.

In the 80's, my mother was chastised for teaching me at home, then sending me to school. She couldn't stop me from learning, I was an inquisitve child, but a real burden to the teachers I had. Not all of them, but the good ones I didn't meet until middle school and high school, and even then they were few and far between. Too many have given up, in my experience. My daughter has had a 50/50 as far as talented, intelligent teachers, that were still interested in the learning experience.

Don't worry, you aren't the only one on a soapbox. I respect teachers, they have chosen an unenviable job. The good teachers and professors I have met in my travels, I still keep in contact with, others just marked me off as a trouble child, because my questions were too piercing. With age and experience, I understand that not everyone learns at the same pace, and offer my assistance and interpretation at all times. Many of my tech team come to me for assistance, knowing that I won't just give them the answer, but provide the ability to find it next time.

When did that become passe?

[Susie Sweetz]

I am a wife, mother of 3 and college student. I am majoring in Childhood Ed with a concentration in Humanities.

I does seem that my Kindergartner is doing more than her brothers did! I am meeting with her teacher next month for a conference.

Kae- does it seem to you that more older school ideas are being taught in the younger grades? Also in NY, testing has increased! In NYC especially. Is it the same in Texas?

[Dmitri]

Yup, Katya is in Kindergarten and she's got loads of homework. I never had homework in kindergarten... Hell I don't remember home work til like 2nd or 3rd grade...