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Homework can be added to the grand list of things that City Council member Peter Vallone is not so fond of. (That list includes graffitti, peeping toms, Con Ed, and pit bulls so far.) The other day, he said he wanted to introduce a cap on elementary school homework - 2 1/2 hours each day, plus one homework-free night a week. Pshaw, a homework-free night? That's called Friday!
Vallone explained, "There is no study that shows that homework relates to achievement in grade school at all. In fact, studies show otherwise. I'm a parent of two little girls and every parent I've spoken to says the same thing. Our kids are being denied the opportunity to be kids."
State Board of Regents member Meryl Tisch pointed out that the city doesn't have power to actually limit homework. But there was that book, The Case Against Homework, that asks, "Does assigning fifty math problems accomplish any more than assigning five?"
The Sun reported Mayor Bloomberg's feelings on the issue, "I suspect if you're running for eighth grade class president, less homework is a good campaign platform to work with. I don't mean to make light of his concerns, but it's up to the Department of Education and they'll decide what is an appropriate amount of homework."
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2 1/2 hours daily is a lot for an elementary school kid.
Vallone was actually on "The Call" on NY1 last night pumping this thing. Pretty funny.
No doubt some educrat spent millions of taxpayer dollars to determine that the amount of homework given is a performance measure of teachers.
Also, I know that the rubbish standardized tests that politicians come up with so they can "fix" the education system by forcing schools to teach to the test and not teach kids what they actually need to know is another part of the problem.
On the list of things that are keeping kids from being kids, too much homework ranks at about 94,854 on the list.
Out of curiousity... 2.5 hours based on whose pace? First in the class or last?
2 1/2hrs ain't even enough. And people wonder why Americans educational system ranks the bottom of the industrialized nations. Why we have to recruit skilled and educated workers from other countries. Why the illiteracy rates are so high. You can thank wonderful lack of thinking from Mr. Vallone, whom I'm sure is also a great product of the American education system.
I'm looking forward to the legislation that limits limits.
Peter Vallone is an idiot.
2.5 hrs divided between 4-5 subjects sounds bout right for grade school.
I'd rather mr. vallone tell kids to read more and less internet. and, to think his ancestors were the likes of da Vinci.
When is this guy's term over? Get this jerk off out office soon!
Children are off half the year anyway! Almost every week or every other week there is some holiday/half day. How many weeks in a school year are the children in school for the full five day week? Not much to begin with.
Children have more than enough time to be kids, which is called winter, february, spring and summer breaks. Don't forget about every single holiday off as well in the year.
Sounds like someone is jealous of the kids' time off! And 2 1/2 hours of homework is a long time.,more than 11 hours a week, almost two whole schooldays. Jeez, give the kids a break.
Pshaw...I love that word, it makes me think of rarebit.
"I suspect if you're running for eighth grade class president, less homework is a good campaign platform to work with. I don't mean to make light of his concerns, but it's up to the Department of Education and they'll decide what is an appropriate amount of homework."
right, because the Dept of Ed has done a great job so far. Bloomberg, how about that idea you had on paying kids to get good grades? what five year old gave you this advice? or did it come to you when you were in the bathroom and thought sticking your finger up your butt would speed things up but it didn't so you sat there with your finger up your @$$ thinking of ways to solve the world's problems instead.
don't forget that kids are often given assignments during the winter breaks, summer breaks, and holidays. it's not all time off for them. a 2 1/2 hour cap isn't a bad idea though how can you really implement that?