East Bay Homework Blog

Two in the Middle

2012-01-24T16:29:00.000-08:00

I recently received this email and wanted to share it with my blog readers. I applaud Pamela's efforts to do something creative, effective, productive and loving for her daughter. Please read her story: Dear Kerry, I so admire the effort you have put into changing the way your school district looks at homework. I know you wish it were even better, but what you accomplished was huge.

No Guarantees

2012-01-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine, Sara Bennett, has been doing pro bono legal work for the past two years to free a woman named Judith Clark from prison. You can read a recent NYTimes article about Judith Clark here. What struck me about her story was that for the past 27 years Judy Clark has been educating herself in prison and transforming herself into a truly rehabilitated person. Judy has

The College Gig and AP Classes

2012-01-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered this new site that offers advice on finding the right fit for college. It is called College Gig. Check it out. It is run by Lisa Olson who says, "Getting into college is one task, but staying in college is an entirely different beast. I am committed to educating families about balancing priorities and equipping students with the tools required to manage the complex

What Happens When An Adult Takes a High School Standardized Test?

2012-01-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Read this article from The Washington Post called When An Adult Took Standardized Tests. Here's an excerpt: Roach, the father of five children and grandfather of two, was a teacher, counselor and coach in Orange County for 14 years. He was first elected to the board in 1998 and has been reelected three times. A resident of Orange County for three decades, he has a bachelor of science

The Season of Giving

2011-12-20T14:35:00.000-08:00

An Anonymous reader posted this recently and it was so heartwarming, I wanted to repost it: "My son's 5th grade teacher just received $1,400 as a Christmas gift from the 17 families whose children she has been teaching in a Waldorf School since 2nd grade. Quite a present considering we are not a wealthy school! The teacher makes less than 30K after over 30 years of teaching and most of the

Grass Roots Groups to Discuss Homework Issues

2011-12-06T12:54:00.001-08:00

I recently received this email:"I am amazed at how my son is drowning in homework this year. Is there a group of people at Monte Vista High who are working toward or vocalizing the need to reduce the homework load? I was thinking of talking to the administration but wanted to check with you to see if you know of a more effective way to approach this issue. It is really quite ridiculous!"Perhaps

Homework Book Club Recommendations

2011-11-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

I recently received this email:"Kerry, can you recommend some books to read for an adult book group about homework? I know our teachers aren't following the SRVUSD policy and I'd like to raise awareness and do something about it."The two books I recommended were:The Case Against Homework by Sara Bennett and Nancy KalishandThe Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn.In fact, these two books launched me into

Giving Thanks

2011-11-16T13:06:00.001-08:00

I received a "Happy Thanksgiving" card in the mail yesterday. On the inside it said, "Appreciation: it changes your perspective about everything...Enjoy the Holidays!"And then, as I sat here typing this blog post, the mailman came and I received another one. This one said, "Thanksgiving a time for sharing special joys - Sending warm thanks for your business and wishes for a Thanksgiving filled

Repost - The Audacity of Homework from Playborhood

2011-11-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Audacity of HomeworkPublished on October 4, 2011 by Mike LanzaPublished in Playborhood.comShame on Oliver, a friend of my son, Marco.He hasn’t been handing in part of his kindergarten homework, worksheets full of letters that require tracing over. However, he has handed in his book reading logs and book report.He likes reading books that interest him, but he’s not keen on tracing letters.So,

Childhood Matters - Homework Headaches

2011-10-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

On October 30 check out the Childhood Matters radio talk show program on 98.1 KISS FM from 7:00-8:00am. The topic for Sunday, October 30 is Reducing Homework Headaches. Here is a blurb for the show: Reducing Homework HeadachesOctober 30, 201198.1 KISS FM7:00-8:00 amOur children face great pressure to exceed and excel each year, starting at a very young age. One example is that the amount of

Finland's Successful Schools

2011-10-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

The following quotes are taken from Smithsonian.com, Why Are Finland's Schools Successful?"[Finland] the tiny Nordic nation’s staggering record of education success, [is] a phenomenon that has inspired, baffled and even irked many of America’s parents and educators.In 1963, the Finnish Parliament made the bold decision to choose public education as its best shot at economic recovery. “I call this

The Secret to Success? Character.

2011-10-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

When you think of character traits what comes to mind?Bravery, citizenship, fairness, wisdom,integrity, love, humor, zest for life, appreciation of beauty, social intelligence,kindness, self-regulation, gratitude,compassion,grit, self-control, optimism,curiosity,etc.In the NY Times article What If The Secret to Success is Failure? the author talks a lot about character development in students.He

Cell Phones in the Classroom

2011-09-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

I think cell phones should be allowed in schools and should be used in productive ways in the classroom. It seems silly to me that cell phones aren't integrated into schools already, especially Smart Phones. Here's an article I found that supports my view:The Value of Using Cell Phones to Enhance Education and Some Concrete Ways to Do SoAnd, here is a sample from that article:10 Ideas for Using

Back to School Night

2011-09-08T17:34:00.001-07:00

By now almost all east bay schools are back in session and I'm guessing most have had their Back to School nights. I went last night.In my sons' school, the teachers have 10 minutes to present something to the parents. Most give a short bio about themselves and then talk about the classroom policies. I find this pretty standard and boring. I prefer the teachers who give a little demonstration

Back to School, Back to Homework

2011-08-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

I sell a product to a market that doesn’t want it, but is forced by law to buy it, because I teach high school math. I could give adults an Algebra 2 exam and would expect about a 25% pass rate. The way we teach math in the US

Compassion in the Classroom

2011-03-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Compassion brings us to a stop, and for a moment we rise above ourselves. Mason Cooley Is there compassion in the classroom? Should there be? Should teachers teach compassion? Should teachers be compassionate? Should students be compassionate? The recent disaster in Japan has many people scratching their heads because Japan has received only a fraction of

College Interviews for Seventh Graders

2011-03-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

I ran across this article in the newspaper recently “Around Dublin: The University of Dublin at Fallon”I liked the way this article begins,“PRESSURE? You bet. The average GPA for incoming freshmen at the top University of California schools this past year was higher than a "perfect" 4.0 (4.39 at Cal, 4.37 at UCLA -- both weighted).Due to the economy, the number of entry-level jobs available for

Flex Public Charter Schools

2011-02-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

I’m always interested in innovative schools so I visited San Francisco Flex Academy last week with two friends. This is a free (well, your taxes pay for it, like public school) charter school for 9-12 graders. Two more are opening soon – one in Silicon Valley and one in the Mt. Diablo district. The way these schools work: They operate on a traditional school year calendar, with traditional

Fires in the Mind

2011-02-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

Fires in the Mind: What Kids Can Tell Us About Motivation and Mastery by Kathleen Cushman For teachers… I recommend this book because it shows myriad examples from students on what motivates them. For example, here’s a student talking about what makes a teacher good: “A lot of teachers here treat their class as more of a conversation, rather than a lecture, and I think that

Education gives you...

2011-01-31T11:52:00.000-08:00

Why become educated? What does education give you that you really need?I think education can give us many things. It may bring us: Choices Happiness Money Opportunities Good Health Etc... However, we have no guarantees we will have more choices, be happier, make more money, have more opportunities or enjoy greater health if we become educated. So why get

Battle Hymn of an Average Mother (of Average Children)

2011-01-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

Amy Chua’s new book has raised a lot of attention lately. An excerpt from Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother ran in the Wall Street Journal recently, titled "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior." I’m guessing most readers of this blog subscribe to an authoritative parenting style. I do my best to be authoritative with my kids and do not consider myself an indulgent or authoritarian parent.

Final Exams Week - Advice

2011-01-17T15:57:00.001-08:00

This week is final exams week for my sons’ school district. So, here’s my advice to parents on how to handle your kids during this week. (Or to parents of any age students who have tests throughout the school year.) DON’T BUG THEM! Our kids know they have tests. They know they have to study if they want to get a decent grade. The teachers tell them this. Their

The Cubicle and The Classroom

2011-01-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

Imagine your boss asks you to work on a design for a new product your company is soon launching. He gives you a time frame for completion and some guidelines. He also tells you that he is not available to help but you can check in with him from time to time to let him know how it’s going. And, on a certain date he’ll want to see what you come up with.Now, imagine you begin this task and soon

The Blessing of a B Minus

2010-12-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Check out Dr. Wendy Mogel’s latest book, The Blessing of a B Minus. It focuses on raising teens while her first book, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee focused on younger children. I’ve heard Dr. Mogel speak several times and each time I appreciate how straight forward her approach is. With humor and experience, she speaks and writes about common sense approaches to raising a healthy family.Some

My Kid Wants This Crazy Life...

2010-12-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

I'm linking to a blog called Playborhood. I've liked many things I've read in this blog and this article called My Kid Wants This Crazy Life, So What Can I Do? I particularly like. Please read it and leave a comment if you like.In this blog there is also a great suggestion for a holiday gift for younger kids - a custom made map of your very own neighborhood. I thought this was brilliant.

Homework Helper for $100/hour

2010-11-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

Check out this NY Times article about hired homework helpers. Apparently wealthy parents actually pay homework helpers anywhere from $15-$100/hour to “teach organizational skills and time management, or … sometimes just sit there [with the student] until the work is finished.” “As schools have piled on expectations and as career paths have sucked in

What Makes a Teacher Great?

2010-11-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

In all this talk of education reform the one constant that most seem to agree on is this – a great teacher makes all the difference. But what IS a great teacher? Is a great teacher… …entertaining? …organized and well prepared? …caring and thoughtful? …knowledgeable of and truly interested in his/her content area? …one whose students have improved their test

Sir Ken Robinson’s latest talk on Changing Education

2010-10-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

Check out Ken Robinson’s RSA lecture: Changing Paradigms of Education here. Or, you can get a Podcast of this lecture in iTunes for your mobile device by going here. These are my notes from this 11 minute version of this lecture: Every country on earth is reforming public education right now for two reasons. 1. For economic reasons. How do we educate our children to take place

Waiting for Superman and Race to Nowhere

2010-10-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

There’s a lot of hype right now about the new educational documentary Waiting for Superman. I saw it last spring and took some notes on it. These are my notes:Ideas from Waiting for Superman that I thought were true:- We all were promised the ideal that public schools could work- We are placing our children in the hands of luck in public schools- We all have a different definition of a great

Being Happy & Raising Happy Kids

2010-09-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

I recently read “Raising Happiness” by Christine Carter, Ph.D. and have highlighted some of my favorite quotes below. And, I also came across a video from University of Michigan professor Christopher Peterson, an expert in “positive psychology” that compliments this book nicely. If you want to watch the video it is about 5 minutes long. Here are quotes from Raising Happiness:"The most

Brains Need Downtime, Too

2010-09-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

I recently listened to a NPR Fresh Air interview with Matt Richtel who covers technology and telecommunications for The New York Times. You can listen to the 30-minute interview here: Richtel received the Pulitzer Prize in 2010 for a series in The New York Times on driving while multitasking. Here are some highlights from the interview: “One study conducted at Stanford University,

Race to Nowhere Fall News

2010-08-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already had the opportunity to view the documentary Race To Nowhere you will have many chances this fall. On Sept. 30 and Oct. 4, 2010, in conjunction with National Child Health Day, the film will be viewed simultaneously in dozens of locations around the country. It will also open for one week only at select theaters in Los Angeles and New York beginning Sept 10. If you

Chevron's "Fuel Your School" Fundraiser

2010-08-20T12:42:00.001-07:00

This seems like a pretty easy fundraiser for schools in Alameda and Contra Costa County. See details below if you are a teacher or administrator and want to try to get some of these funds from Chevron.Teachers, submit a project to request funding for materials and supplies you need for your classroom. In September, everyone can help fund eligible classroom projects by filling up at

11 Tips to Begin the School Year

2010-08-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

We always tell our kids to start the school year off right. We give them tips on how to impress teachers, how to be prepared, how to get organized, etc. But, we need to think about how we parents can start the school year off right, too. Here are 11 of my tips for parents: 1. Don’t over schedule your children. Benefits: you save money, get more time at home as a family and are

Thoughts from a Late, Great Coach and Teacher

2010-06-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

John Wooden This TED lecture from 2009 with John Wooden (educator and coach) is well worth 20 minutes of your time. Here are some highlights from it: “My dad taught us that you should never try to be better than someone else, always learn from others, and never cease trying to be the best you can be. I coined my own definition of success in 1934 when I was

Summer Homework and More Summer Options

2010-06-10T08:11:00.001-07:00

Today is the last day of school for our district. As far as I know, neither of my kids has been assigned homework over the summer. But, I suspect there are plenty of students who have been assigned work during the summer break in our district and many others across the state. Sara Bennett from Stop Homework just posted about this recently. See: http://stophomework.com/

The Learning Revolution

2010-05-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here's another great TED lecture by Ken Robinson. This one is called "Bring on the learning revolution!"Here are some quotes from the 16 minute video:"I believe we make very poor use of our talents. I meet many people who feel they are not good at anything. I meet all kinds of people who simply go on with their lives getting on with it, who wait for the weekend. Only a minority of people

3 Observations on Homework

2010-05-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

1. If homework can be copied, it is bad homework. Most kids will cheat on homework if they can. Why not? It usually feels like a waste of their time, especially if the teacher just checks it off and doesn’t give constructive feedback on it. What kind of homework can be cheated on? Fill in the blanks, word searches, crossword puzzles, end of chapter summaries, math

Thoughts on Work

2010-05-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

I just listened to a podcast of writer/philosopher Alain de Botton who wrote The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work. You can listen to this 30 minute podcast here.Here's a brief summary of the podcast: Richard Scary’s children’s book “What Do People Do All Day?” was his inspiration. Generally work is something we suffer through. Freud said the 2 parts of happiness are

Dan Pink Lecture Recap

2010-05-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

I attended a lecture hosted by Challenge Success last week. Dan Pink was the guest lecturer and it was refreshing to hear such an engaging businessman give advice to a group of educators and parents. I blogged about his book, “A Whole New Mind” a while ago. You can read that post here: (http://eastbayhomework.blogspot.com/2009/06/right-brain-approach-whole-new-mind.html) One thing Dan

NCLB versus Finding Your Passion

2010-04-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

Check out this moving lecture by Yong Zhao, a Michigan State University professor, who argues for giving kids room to innovate by following their passions: A 21st Century Education.I found this on Sara Bennett's website: Stop Homework.Also mentioned on Stop Homework is this article by the same lecturer about Race to the Top and our obsession with data.Check it out!

The Skinny on STAR testing

2010-04-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

What is STAR testing? “Each spring, California students take a battery of standardized tests that comprise the state's STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) Program. The key component of the program measures students’ achievement of state academic content standards. The program began in 1998. All students in grades 2-11 participate in the STAR Program, including students with

Bumper Stickers and Bragging

2010-04-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

In my conversations with parents or in conversations I overhear around town, I’ve noticed that many parents publically mention their children’s grades to one another. It goes something like this: Me: How are your kids doing these days? Another Parent: Great. Yea, _____ is getting a 4.7 this year. We are so lucky with our kids. _____ has never

Science Project Blues

2010-03-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

[Pictured: a dining room table of an 8th grade student. The student still didn't have a working maze after a week of building.]My 8th grader was recently given a 3-week long science project with the expectation that it will be “difficult and will require outside help because it would be impossible to complete a project like this in class.” (Quotes from the teacher’s email.) Last weekend our

Organized Recess

2010-03-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

Check out this recent NYTimes article on recess, "Forget Goofing Around: Recess Has a New Boss."An Elementary School in Newark is paying a "recess coach" $14/hour to organize recess games for students."Broadway Elementary brought in Ms. Parker in January out of exasperation with students who, left to their own devices, used to run into one another, squabble over balls and jump-ropes or monopolize

One Student At A Time

2010-03-01T16:43:00.001-08:00

Last week I spent 2 full days in Sacramento visiting The Met Sac, a dependent charter high school (with 230 students) within the Sacramento City Unified School District (50,000 students). The principal at this school said the district calls The Met Sac “the feather in its cap.” And, after visiting the school for 2 days, I can see why the district is proud of it. The

Obama on Parenting and School

2010-02-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

President Obama gave parents some advice in Essence Magazine. See this link: http://www.examiner.com/x-35307-LA-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m2d17-Obama-on-parent-involvement and don’t forget to read the comments below the article. Obama says that parents should not allow their kids to watch TV during school nights. I say that everyone needs downtime and sometimes TV is fine.

Letter to Michelle Obama re: Childhood Obesity

2010-02-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Mrs. Obama, Thank you for bringing attention to childhood obesity. Decreasing the incidence of childhood obesity is a worthy cause and I applaud you for tackling this “epidemic.” Many factors contribute to childhood obesity – genetics, diet, exercise, life-style, nutrition, economics, etc. And many solutions are offered to combat it: growing, buying and eating more nutritious food,

5-minute Advanced Placement class video

2010-01-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

Check out this 5-minute video clip that was featured in the NYTimes Op Ed video library on January 25. "Op Ed: Advanced Pressure." I think every student who takes or considers taking an AP class should see this. I think every parent of every student who takes an AP class should see this. And, I think every AP teacher should see this, too. My favorite quote in the video clip is from Dr.

The Tipping Point

2010-01-21T15:38:00.000-08:00

I just read “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” by Malcolm Gladwell. In it he talks about how epidemics start. He theorizes: “in order to create one contagious movement, you often have to create many small movements first.” In fact, “small, close knit groups have the power to magnify the epidemic potential of a message or idea.” So, I think

Tales of a 4th Grade Homework Assignment

2010-01-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

I received this from a parent of a 4th grader the other day. This was the homework assignment one night for her child:“Math 8-7 We never actually did work pages in class, so a review of the lesson is probably going to be necessary before the quiz is taken. We did a lot of hands on activities instead. Reading literature book chapters 15-19 - book chat with buddy

Is Race to the Top a Race to Nowhere?

2010-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

No Child Left Behind sounded like a good idea when it was first introduced. Yet, in its implementation, it seemed to do more harm than good with its unintended consequences and didn’t help President Bush’s reputation any. Now, I’m concerned that Race to the Top is just NCLB with a new name. I took this portion of a letter from the CA Race to the Top website: “On November 18, President

No Homework Instead of Zeros

2009-12-17T11:24:00.000-08:00

I just came across this story from Bloomfield, MO, "Bloomfield Middle School issues no homework policy". You can read the story here.What I really like about this story is the way the principal reacted to a situation where many students were failing because of zeros from incomplete assignments. Instead of mandating after school make up sessions or instituting a "Zeros aren't Permitted" policy,

Holiday Charity Ideas

2009-12-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

What charities do you support with your children (or students) over the holidays? Do you give money or volunteer? I know there are a lot of unique ways to give and I'd like to hear some ideas.In years past I've asked my boys to pick a charity and make a donation (with their own money). One has picked the Children's Cancer Research Fund and the other has picked The SmileTrain. I've had them fill

Another Reason to Love Canada

2009-11-24T17:53:00.000-08:00

In addition to its great hockey and the dozen or so wonderful friends I’ve met from Canada, I now have another reason to love Canada. Canada is becoming more and more progressive with regard to homework. Yea! Last week many Canadian newspapers, radio and TV reported the story of the Milleys, lawyer parents from Calgary, Canada, who have successfully negotiated an

What You Can Do

2009-11-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

The "Race to Nowhere" documentary website now includes a petition. I've copied it below. You can go there to sign the petition. "We invite you to add your voice to a growing movement of educators, parents, medical professionals, policy makers and concerned citizens who want to see real change in education policies and practices. Too many students in all grades in the U.S.

45 Years Later, Same Ole’ Same Ole’

2009-11-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

I just finished The Underachieving School by John Holt. It’s a collection of essays about education written by Holt in the 1960s, but it could have been written today.About the author: John Holt was born in 1923 in New York City and raised in New England. He went to private schools, but he chose not to reveal the names of the schools he attended because he felt that was irrelevant. He said, "...

Letter from a Math Teacher

2009-11-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

This year after Back to School night at both the middle and high schools my boys attend, I sent each of their teachers an email. In the email I said I had just read a really interesting book called “Rethinking Homework” by Cathy Vatterott and I had some extra copies I’d like to share with anyone interested. To my surprise I got a few emails back right away from teachers

Why a Blog about Homework?

2009-10-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Homework is a hot button topic. Anyone who has ever been a student, is currently a student or who is the parent of a student has an opinion about homework. Today when I Google “homework ” I find 40,100,000 results. Many of these homework sites offer tips to help children with their homework and accept the status quo – that homework has been a part of the American public

Nurture Shock (not so shocking…)

2009-10-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

I just read “Nurture Shock” by Bronson & Merryman. It may be another book to add to your list of parenting books to read, but quite honestly, I wasn’t “wow-ed” by it. Each chapter sets out to “shock” parents by dispelling accepted beliefs. In a nutshell,Chapter 1 – says “when we praise children for their intelligence…we tell them that this is the name of the game: look

Another California School District Revises its Homework Policy

2009-10-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

I saw this in today's news about a Santa Monica school district. The more districts that rethink accepted homework practices, the better!SM School Board Approves Revised Homework PolicyHannah Heineman, Mirror Staff WriterHomework assignments have always been part of the educational process for every student who attends school but sometimes questions arise about the amount of homework or the type

The Importance of Play

2009-10-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 paragraphs from a recent New York Times article called “Can the Right Kinds of Play Teach Self-Control?” By PAUL TOUGH To read the whole article, go here. Kindergarten: “Kindergarten has ceased to be a garden of delight and has become a place of stress and distress,” warned a report released in March by a research group called the Alliance for Childhood, which

Life is not a multiple choice test.

2009-10-07T14:03:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading "The Global Achievement Gap" by Tony Wagner. I highly recommend this book.Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:(xxi) Schools haven’t changed; the world has. And so our schools are not failing. Rather, they are obsolete – even the ones that score the best on standardized tests. (xxiii) I have observed that the longer our children are in school, the less

Obama’s Extended School Year Plan

2009-10-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

You can read about Obama’s thoughts on extending the school year here from a recent Comcast.net News report. “…the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom," says Obama. I say the challenges of a new century demand better time in the classroom.“Obama and Duncan say kids in the United States need more school because kids in other nations have more school. "Young

Unplug and Play

2009-09-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

I recently received information from the Alliance for Childhood about a month-long play day campaign in the Bay Area to promote unstructured play and time in nature for children and adults. The campaign is called “Let’s Play Outside” and you can link to it here. Isn’t it sad that we are so busy we have to be reminded by an organization to set aside unstructured time to just

Race to Nowhere - at the Mill Valley Film Festival

2009-09-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

I met Vicki Abeles, the producer of "Race to Nowhere" last year. A mutual friend put us together (thanks Liz!) after reading a Diablo Magazine article on homework. You can read that article here. It turns out that our husbands know each other, small world, and Vicki and I also learned we share a passion for educating people in our community about raising well-balanced children. Since meeting

Radio Interview with Sara Bennett

2009-09-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Sara was interviewed today by Dr. Dan Gottlieb for the show “Voices in the Family” on WHYY out of Philadelphia. Check it out here if you have a few minutes. “The Homework Debate”: http://www.whyy.org/91FM/voices.html I met Sara Bennett in 2007 when she advised me (via emails and phone conversations) during my time working on the homework task force for our district. She has been a constant

Start Singing

2009-09-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

I met with Robin Kelley yesterday and she said something I thought was worth writing about. Robin is a passionate student advocate and coordinator of EPIC (Empowering Parents Involving Community) at San Ramon Valley High School. She finds speakers to give lectures about raising healthy, well-balanced children. When I asked Robin if she ever got frustrated about the fact that most people who

Reaction to Obama's Speech

2009-09-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

This editorial was taken from A.E.R.O (Alternative Education Resource Organization) Education Revolution e newsletter: http://www.educationrevolution.org/Editorial in Newsday by Jerry Mintz (reaction to Obama's school speech)To the Editor:The message from President Obama as published in today’s Newsday is both ironic and self contradictory. He starts out by saying that every student has

Challenge Success Conference - Sept 25, 09

2009-09-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Check out the Challenge Success Website (http://www.challengesuccess.org/)Our children live in a high-stakes, high-pressure world.Today, a young person's success is too often measured by easily-observed symbols: trophies, grades, test scores, and acceptance into prestigious schools. Expectations once reserved for a small group of exceptional students are now expected of many.Our children are

Evaluating Teachers with Tests

2009-09-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

I came across this in the Reader’s Forum section of the Contra Costa Times newspaper this weekend. I completely agree with the writer and have been thinking recently how much more meaningful education would be if ALL students were given the opportunity to have IEPs (individual education plans). If we did this, the focus would shift from standardization to personalization. Times is wrong about

Even Though School is Back in Session, Let Them Play

2009-09-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

September 2, 2009, NYTimes OpinionLet the Children Play (Some More)By STUART BROWNHere on the balmy central coast of California and all across the country, kids are heading back to school. The classes are larger, the No Child Left Behind mandates remain in place and, despite advice from the nation’s secretary of health and human services and others, recess and physical education (not to mention

10 Tips to Start the School Year off Right

2009-08-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

We always tell our kids to start the school year off right. We give them tips on how to impress teachers, how to be prepared, how to get organized, etc. But, we need to think about how we can start the school year off right, too. Here are 10 of my tips: 1. Don’t over schedule your children this school year. Benefits: you save money, get more time at home as a family

Old Homework Papers

2009-08-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

What do you do with old homework papers? During the school year my boys pile up their old homework papers in a cabinet. By the end of the school year these piles are usually around 12 inches high. Then they take one day during the summer to sort through these papers. But, they always moan and complain when I ask them to do this. I ask them to save anything that was meaningful to them as they

Summer Camp Learning

2009-08-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

Did you ever go to summer camp as a kid? Do your children now go to summer camps? Most camp experiences are fun and kids learn a lot. I often wonder why school can't be more like camp. Sometimes schools offer activities that are camp-like, for example, field trips and assemblies. Some schools even send their older students away to camp. But, more often than not, school just doesn't feel

Wanted: General US Employee

2009-07-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

Wanted: General U.S. Employee WorkWorld is 200-year old U.S. industrial company dedicated to producing standardized widgets and superior scores on high-stakes reviews, regardless of market demand. The company is proud to offer a rigorous, rigid environment that promotes well-rounded employees who are responsible for work in all departments, which are structured as unconnected silos. Due to heavy

ASCD Homework Book

2009-07-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

ASCD Homework Book Rethinks Traditional PoliciesCathy Vatterott, an outspoken critic of traditional homework policies who is known as "The Homework Lady," challenges long-held American views of homework in the new ASCD book Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs. Vatterott describes how conventional homework practices can contribute to student failure and provides several

An Inspired Assignment from Costa Rica

2009-07-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Terry & Elizabeth at Nueva Hoja (with Terry's girl Cayenne)My friends Terry & Elizabeth started a school in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica a few years ago. It is called Nueva Hoja ("New Leaf")http://www.nuevahoja.com/ and is a K-6, Spanish/English private school that currently has around 30 students. The school recently got its official accreditation and we were lucky enough to be in town for the

Associated Press story on homework

2009-07-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, a photographer came to my home and took photos of me, one of my sons, and my dog for a story on homework. My other son was out of the country that day, or he would have been included, too. I've added the link to this article on the sidebar of this blog, but you can also check it out here:http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hH6dXxAoig80bQxedmslFch3gT0gD99EC13G0

ADHD & Me

2009-06-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

T-shirt expression:“Some people say I have ADD, but they just don’t understand. Oh look, a chicken!”ADHD is short for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, but many shorten it to ADD especially when it refers to someone who has been diagnosed with it, but isn’t hyperactive.One of my sons was diagnosed with ADD when he was in 4th grade. I suspected something was up when he was in 2nd grade and

The Right Brain Approach – A Whole New Mind

2009-06-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

I just finished Daniel H. Pink’s book “A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.” In it he talks about how the left hemisphere of the brain handles logic, sequence, literalness, and analysis. The right takes care of synthesis, emotional expression, context, and the big picture. (p. 25) He makes the case that in the future our society and our economy will increasingly become built

Electronic Textbooks

2009-06-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year when my boys are asked to bring back the textbooks they have had at home all school year. Each time they brought these heavy books back and forth to school I asked them how much they actually used them. The only text books I saw them use with regularity were the math books. And, don’t get me started on math kill and drill instruction! That’s another post, but as far

Guest Post from Sara Bennett

2009-06-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

I asked Sara Bennett to write a brief description of her blog, Stop Homework. Sara has become a friend over the past two years and has helped me and continues to advise me on issues like homework, education, & parenting. Check out her blog, she's running a series of interviews this week that are worth reading. This is from Sara:"I started my website, in August, 2006,

Summer Resolutions

2009-06-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

I recently took a class called “Raising Well-Balanced Children in a Fast-Paced World” offered at Stanford by Denise Pope, Jim Lobdell, & Madeline Levine of the “Challenge Success” group. www.ChallengeSuccess.org At the end of the 5 weeks, participants were asked to come up with some resolutions for summer that were in line with their definitions of success and guiding principles established for

"Race to Nowhere" screening in San Francisco 6/11/09

2009-06-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

I'm one of the advisors on Vicki Abeles' film "Race to Nowhere." This film examines stress on adolescents due to school, family and society. The 1st San Francisco screening of “RACE TO NOWHERE" will be Thursday, June 11, 2009 at Dolby Laboratories Theater, 100 Potrero Ave., San Francisco at 7:00 PM. Please RSVP to vicki@reellinkfilms.comSpace is limited. Visit the website to view the trailer

End of School Year Teacher Gift Ideas

2009-06-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

As the end of the school year approaches, why not give some of your children’s teachers books or DVDs? Here's my list of suggestions:Book & DVD ideas for teachers:What Every Great Teacher Knows by Gibboney and Webb (for all teachers)The Book Whisperer, Donalyn Miller (for 4-8 grade teachers, especially language & social studies teachers)Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire by Rafe Esquith (for middle