The mantra of “Whatever is best for the kids” and local control is in jeopardy with National and State Departments of education deciding curriculum, developing standard tests for all, and disbanding vocational courses in belief that all students can become proficient in math and science; thereby promoting that all students should go to college.
Most students are under sufficient pressure to prove what they’ve learned just in normal testing in a class without the added pressure of satisfactorily performing on national standard tests. “Teaching for the test” results from students being under pressure to do well on the tests and jobs of teachers and administrators can be jeopardized by just one set of tests.
Standardized testing appears designed to minimize local school boards” control.
Such testing seems to also deem assigning more homework in order to better prepare students to do well on the test. Homework is cruel and unusual punishment inflicted on students, teachers, and parents. After being in school all day, it seems added pressure for students then to have to spend additional time at home on school subjects. Rather than extra papers to grade, most teachers , especially those who have to help their own children with homework, would prefer non-classroom connected activities.
“The school” decides what will be taught in the classrooms, and rather than allow parents and students to decide regarding what education takes place outside the classrooms, students are given required “take-home schoolwork” assignments.
Those assignments take precedence over how families could decide to use the time for activities of their own choosing, such as church-related activities, educational TV, time with friends, hobbies, household duties, music, neighborhood relationships, projects of their choosing, readings other than what school requires, recreation, volunteering at community agencies, strengthening of the family unit, sports,and maybe just some time doing nothing. Perhaps they deserve rest after a day at school just as do mother and father after a day at their jobs.
Homework is number one priority and must be completed before engaging in activities of family members’ choosing. With changes in how subjects are taught, and owing to teachers being kept updated and paid to teach, expecting parents to effectively contribute to what goes on in the various classrooms is an inefficient way to enhance classroom work.
If classroom time can’t be satisfactorily arranged for teachers to complete desired instruction, explore what can be arranged for it all to be completed while students are still at the school. That is where the expert help is available, as well as the environment compatible for “homework.”
Expecting a parent to become a teacher after completing his own daily job, much less be adequately competent in all subjects, is an inefficent method of enhancing students” performance. Parents have already having passed through the grades, yet they are expected to be competent teachers after years away from the classrooms. Pity the parents with students in more than one grade, those who work more than one job, a shift that conflicts with hours when homework needs be accomplished, and who may not have been top students themselves.
The simple solution would allow schools to teach during school hours, and let families decide what happens outside of school time.
Don Stowe lives in Colorado Springs. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
