Homework...Friend or Foe?

We have been having an intriguing discussion about homework at the school where I teach.

Turns out the new administrators at our district office aren't big fans of homework.

I'm not either...but I've always assumed that was because I home schooled for so many years. I still find it amazing that the work that we accomplished at home in three or four hours takes at least seven plus some homework to accomplish in an institutional setting. But at home, I didn't have to redirect 18 students. My kids didn't have anyone to talk to besides their siblings and me so that wasn't a great distraction and they knew if they finished early they could go outside and play.

So what is the purpose of homework? I generally only send home assignments that haven't been finished in class. Most of my diligent students get it done and get to go out to play. But is that really fair? That leaves my slower students who need more help to get that help from parents that perhaps weren't helping in the first place and that's why the student is one of my slower students...plus, don't we all need time to play? I think so. But when do those students get that assignment done? If they do it in class the next day I have all of my faster students sitting bored and getting into trouble. If I let them move on, the slower kids get even further behind. It's very much a catch 22.

Many of the other teachers had other reasons they sent homework home. The main one was to force parents to be involved in their children's education. Do you really think that if a parent doesn't want to be involved in their child's education they are going to be bullied into it by a page of homework?? That seemed like odd reasoning to me. Of course, I've always been involved in my children's education so I really don't know if that would be a motivating factor or not.

Then there is the work factor. I find as a working mom, by the time I get home from work, have checked all the homework for three kids, made dinner, made lunches, done baths, hair brushing, tooth brushing, and prayers...I pretty much fall into bed exhausted only to repeat the same thing tomorrow. I have NO CLUE how parents fit in soccer, piano, dance class etc...along with that all...I just don't. Homework definitely doesn't get the attention that as a teacher I might hope it would get in all that chaos, and I understand that.

Most of us came from a generation where homework was the norm. Of course, most of us, at least among my circle of friends, had moms that stayed home, or had a neighbor's mom that stayed home, and could help us with that homework.

What do you think? Does homework serve a purpose? What is that purpose? Or is homework a thing of the past?