Wow. Abolish homework so kids can play sports? or watch tv, or get on FB, or hang out with their friends. This is appalling. I have a daughter that just graduated from veterinary school, and she & her classmates (and all the others like them who will be our doctors, our veterinarians, our engineers, etc.) studied hours & hours & hours EVERY NIGHT to learn the skills that help all of us. And these yahoos think poor ittle baby-boos shouldn’t be studying at ALL? Shameful.

to me one of the most important diff between schools that have higher levels of academic achievement and those that do not is peer pressure. if the majority of the students attitude towards academics are that of being not cool… then the students that want to learn and excel and the teachers and schools that also want this face undue and additional challenges

I had homework…it was up hill, both ways in the snow.

Kids these days – they hardly have anything to do after school except play their game systems.

Homework does not teach you anything it only makes you repeat what you learned from the teacher. I get all As on my tests and have Bs and As.

believe that 1-12 school is so much more important than undergraduate and graduate school. 1-12 should teach the student the how and why of learning.. a good teacher does not know all the knowledge that the student may require but motivates and directs the student to seek it out on their own.

the daughter of the headmaster of a private school my wife was teaching chose to attend a very good public high school. after a year the daughter returned to the private school. the daughter really liked the public school and the level of social activities etc… but not challenged by the academic environment. could do all her homework during the school time vs the private school students and environment did challenge requiring additional time after school to complete assignments. like it or not… both private and public students eventually compete for the same universities and jobs… who wins?

idk, at this point, the “homework” for our 1st graders consists of a book to read, a spelling list to study for a week, and “rocket math”, a list of 40 simple math problems, with the goal being to get at least 19 finished and correct in one minute. i would like to not have to do the reading, but we read almost every night, school or not. started as soon as she was able to sit still and pay attention for more than 5 minutes at a pop. i hate the “rocket math”, i fail to see why it’s an issue how fast they can answer, rather, my concern is that she can come up with the right answer without counting on her fingers. however, it has forced me to explain my strategies for adding numbers in my head, which i never thought about; i had to actually sit there and examine the mental process i use to come up with the answers without using my fingers to count,lol.

There is an interesting video on YouTube, it’s called “The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World’s Most Surprising School System”. Maybe some of you should check it out.

New Jersey produces people like Snooki and that psycho Teresa Whateverhername is from Real Housewives and you want your citizens to appear ever LESS educate?? Christ, get it together Jersey.

I am a high school stufent and homework has done nothing for my education, now i like school and i respect my teachers and everything but so far home work has been a waste of my time. I do not want to get rid of it but mabey if they students are haveing trouble, then you give homeework.

I sure am glad I’m an autodidact.

You can abolish the current schedule for homework assignment however, it must be substituted with a different schedule: 1) one hour extra a day attached to the school hours during which students will do homework with mentor in the class room to assit. 2) Extend school week to half a day on Saturday. That day would be dedicated to reinforcing what was taught during the week.

Educators must think outside of the box.

How come it’s always the failing schools districts with the high drop out rates that always complain about too much homework?

I’m sorry, homework is necessary. I was able to start my homework during lunch or on the bus or train ride home; I did research at the public library and at least 3 to 4 hours a night doing actual homework and still managed to play school volleyball 2 nights a week. Granted we didn’t have the distractions these kids have now, shopping malls, libraries used to hang out in not study, internet and cell phones. I couldn’t even watch TV until I finished my homework (these kids now do homework in front of the TV!) I think homework should be varied so it’s interesting to the students, and they should be shown how to manage their time and not give in to distractions like texting friends, playing video games, doing the face book thing and anything else that keeps them from learning.

Some of the problem is that if each teacher gives “up to 2 hours” of homework a night, the kids can end up with 3 to 5 hours of homework. Homework is necessary. But so is extracurricular activity like sports, dance. The teachers should communicate and plan better among themselves to find the best mix for the kids.

More brilliant Americans……let’s eliminate schoolwork to service Sports….they will indeed deserve to be all unemployed……..

In 2010′ top country for education was South Korea

It would seem to me that ALL parents have the right to educate their children as they see fit. If the education being given at any particular venue is not in accordance with the parent’s desires, then the parent has the right to place their child in a different venue. Some parents opt for private or parochial schools, while others opt for home schooling.

Every child in the USA is entitled to an education. Every child is NOT entitled to the education of their desire. For anyone, in or out of New Jersey, who doesn’t like the way the school (public babysitting service) is run, feel free to home school your child.

Of course that would mean having to move from your 2 income house, into a smaller living situation, more in line with your reduced income. The plasma screen and cell phones might have to be put on hold. The vacation every summer might be changed a bit due to lower income. Do you really value your children enough to put their best interests before your own? Gas is $4/gallon. Nobody makes you buy it. The same with any school, nobody makes you send your child there. You do both because YOU”RE too lazy to do anything else.

A hundred percent agree. I am a sixth grader from N.J, and everyday I get homework my heart drops in my chest. Once, I did homework for EIGHT hours. I spent a good half of my life doing homework, and I barely have free time. Math is hard for me, we get a ton of it every night. It’s torture. It’s caused me tears, stress, and screaming. I’m only in middle school, I know I shouldn’t be getting this much homework. I have ADD, that’s why it takes me longer then others. But my friends also say that it takes them 6 hours sometimes or so. Its ridiculous. ALSO, My friend, Nicole told me that research says homework does absolutely nothing for you until Highschool. My point? Homework should be cut down, ALOT, or gotten rid of compeltly. Thank you for reading.

thats the sstupidest idea i ever heard of in the history of mankind why would any1 want to do that when these kids to learn more structure on getting there homework done cause it helps them reinterate what they learned the regular homework from school that is thee dumbest idea.

As an educator I believe that homework is an essential part of learning. Homework is used to reinforce what is taught in class. In turn, the student’s ability to do the homework without a problems shows that student was able to learn the topic covered, and the student that had problems can then be remediated.
I find it interesting that while the public blames the educators for the problems of students failing there is a parent out there that thinks homework should be done away with. As a parent and educator, I believe that both parents and educators should work together in the education of children. It’s a partnership.
The fact that some parents and students place more importance in after school activities, rather that in education is disheartening. Another big factor affecting the amount that is spent is on homework is the use of computers, ie students chat or Facebook, or text while doing homework.
Students that have been able to balance time management skills succeed in school and after school activities. Time management skills will also help them succeed in their college education as well in their careers.
While there are a plethora of articles refuting the usefulness of homework, there is research to support that homework and family support and assistance in homework in countries that achieve academic standards above those of the US. Parents are a pivotal influence on how their children view the rewards of getting an education and the time doing homework.

It’s your prerogative to school your child, however, school provides other skills that are not part of the curriculum, like social skills and cooperative learning. Furthermore, teaching 5th grade level work is one thing. I highly doubt you are qualified to teach critical thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and application, at the AP or even high school level for every single subject. Are you able to teach content and continue to develop your child’s literacy skills…build her metacognition? You will be able to teach Calculus, Physics, Economics, and American Literature providing her with the same cognitive challenges that a teacher with a Masters degree in their designated subject area? Honestly, it undermines the valuable work teachers do. Sure, there are plenty of teachers who just “show up” and should be weeded out. However, it is likely your child will be unable to navigate the academic challenges higher education will bring.

But the kids have “four hours” of homework in this sense: 3 hours spent gaming, facebooking, instant messaging, looking at goodness knows what on the internet, 1/2 talking on the phone and goofing off, then 1/2 hour of homework. The fact that parents fall for that four hour sham shows how lousy their child-rasing skills truly are.

Since the parents seem to know so much about education, maybe they should teach their kids. I love how the public is so comfortable disputing the knowledge teachers have. Do you argue with your doctor when you are sick, refute a lawyers defense when you are in trouble with the law, tell your mechanic how to fix your car? Maybe parents should have more faith in their children’s teachers and not behave in ways (i.e. complaining) that are befitting of children.

Statistics show that New Zealand has one of the top education systems in the world (number one actually as of last year) AND they have little to no homework and spend less time at school. People asked how this was possible and the answer was the teachers were better at their jobs.