In this first book to question seriously the value of homework, Etta Kralovec and John Buell lead us through the history of the American classroom. They review the scant studies that have been conducted and cite historical documents on both sides of the debate, and they examine the lives of students who may come home to overworked parents and domestic responsibilities and yet be faced with hours of schoolwork. In assigning massive amounts of homework to students, teachers and schools may be abdicating their responsibility to teach. The authors forcefully advocate for carefully considering how homework might be reformed. Most important, they offer a way for schools to accomplish the difficult task of educating our children without an overreliance on homework.
Homework is a great discriminator.
Schools need to ensure equal opportunities for educational advancement, to offer resources to all children, and not to privilege inadvertently any one group of students. Linking homework with school reform for the first time, this book provides a compelling argument based on history, educational theory, and experience. Author Etta Kralovec took her doctorate in philosophy and education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She was a teacher for over twelve years and professor of education and director of teacher education at the College of the Atlantic for eleven years. She is currently vice president for learning with Training and Development Corporation, in Maine.