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Parents Ask: Is There More to Life Than Homework?

Gilbert mom Gwynne Fullmer asked that question of her Mesquite Junior High student, Kristin, when at-home assignments began cutting into family activities.

So Fullmer polled her friends and found other families in the same predicament. Some reported their students spent five or more hours a night completing projects and other homework.

"I had just recently written a letter to the junior high principal and said that this year's homework is too much," said Fullmer, a mother of five. "We just had some times when (we thought), 'Is there anything besides homework?'"

Scenarios like this are unusual, according to an October 2003 report by the RAND Corp. and the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. Their research indicated that the majority of students hit the books for less than an hour on a typical day, an amount that hasn't changed much in 20 years.

Parents can be tempted to help if they believe their students have too many take-home assignments. But the best way to deal with the situation is to talk with their teachers to get an idea of the school's homework policy. Many times, there is miscommunication between the student, teacher and parent about the amount of work.

The topic inspired another Gilbert mom to compile a parent newsletter on homework issues and solutions. Cathy Pai, a mother of four and president of the Mesquite Junior High parent organization, has been polling other parents on homework concerns.

"I wanted to write a warning to sixth-grade parents coming in as a prep document for next year," Pai said. "Junior high is considered transitional from elementary to high school. Theoretically, students should find there's more homework."

— Lindsey Collom
Is there more to life than homework?
Arizona Republic
2004-03-02
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0302edhomework020.html

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