Homework Policy Will Be Discussed at Next CUSD Meeting

has listened to the parents and is reviewing its existing policies concerning homework.

The district invited more than 350 parents to come together and screen the film, Race to Nowhere on Jan. 11 at and a lively discussion on the film's arguments put parents and administrators on equal playing ground. One of the film’s themes was the lack of sleep following staggering amounts of homework.

After more than an hour of discussion, 47 response cards were filled out and submitted with concerns about the amount of homework, the district's homework policy, whether homework could be reduced or eliminated and how educators connect with their students.

The topic of homework and homework load is not a new one.

“It goes both ways,” says Superintendent Eric Andrew. “In some cases, parents say there’s not enough, and others say it’s too much.”

The district homework policy offers guidelines, including reading assignments, to educators on the appropriate amount of homework by grade level.

• 10-20 minutes a night for students in kindergarten through second grades.
• 30-60 minutes a night for students in third through sixth grades.
• 60-120 minutes a night for students in the seventh and eighth grades.

“I think that homework, if given appropriately, is an important part of the learning process,” Andrew says. “We just need to make sure that the homework is relevant.”

He will review the homework policy with his staff and present his recommendations to the school board on March 24.

“It’s always good to look at the policy ... and make sure we are all on the same page,” he says.