But that was then. This, well, this is like every kid's Neverland. And not just kids, either. When school retreats, there is time, after all, for soccer, Little League, trumpet lessons, scouting and karate. Optional homework means having to make one fewer tough choice.
Research indicates homework produces little academic advantage for grade school kids.
My own experience includes not that first recollection of even a single elementary school homework assignment. So maybe, based purely on a single anecdote, this could work. Assuming parents who opt out remain involved in their youngsters' learning, that is. But you also have to wonder at which point the chump factor will kick in. Small wonder, as Pasco elementary school boss Susan Rine says, the district is watching, with keen interest, Northwest's experiment.