Best parents ever!

[Ed Anger]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/18/canada-homework-milley

I could have used a ruling like that 20 some years ago.

Canadian parents win legal battle against homework

Sherri and Tom Milley's children are now exempt from completing school assignments outside the classroom



Usually it is the children, not the parents, who are loath to spend their evenings practising spelling and learning times tables. But a Canadian couple have just won a legal battle to exempt their offspring from homework after successfully arguing there is no clear evidence it improves academic performance.

Sherri and Tom Milley, two lawyers from Calgary, Alberta, launched their highly unusual case after years of struggling to make their three reluctant children do school work out of the classroom.

After waging a long war with their eldest son, Jay, now 18, over his homework, they decided to do things differently with their youngest two, Spencer, 11, and Brittany, 10. And being lawyers, they decided to make it official.

It took two years to negotiate the Milleys' Differentiated Homework Plan, which ensures their youngest two children will never have to do homework again at their current school. The two-page plan, signed by the children, parents and teachers, stipulates that "homework will not be used as a form of evaluation for the children". In return, the pupils promise to get their work done in class, to come to school prepared, and to revise for tests. They must also read daily and practise their musical instruments at home.

"It was a constant homework battle every night," Sherri told Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper. "It's hard to get a weeping child to take in math problems. They are tired. They shouldn't be working a second shift."

"Why were we putting our family through that stress?" she wondered. "If we don't want it all, we shouldn't have to have it."

Two years ago, Sherri began collecting studies on homework, most of which suggest that, particularly for younger grades, there is no clear link between work at home and school performance. Working with the staff at St Brigid Elementary Junior High School, she formed a homework committee. When no firm changes resulted from the committee, the couple began negotiating the legal document that decided the matter.

"We think it's a parent's right to choose what's in our children's best interests," said Sherri. "But we're thankful the school did the right thing."

   

[Martinus]

People like this should be hanged.

[The Minsky Moment]

We don't we just save time, surrender, and turn our entire country over to the Chinese now.

[Zanza]

This case should never have seen a court room.

[Admiral Yi]

We don't we just save time, surrender, and turn our entire country over to the Chinese now.

As atonement for Canadian sins?

[katmai]

And Neil says Canada is great

[MadImmortalMan]

Homework didn't do shit for me. It really was a worthless waste of time.

Some people need that stuff though, I think. If they can't learn the material the first time around.

[saskganesh]

And Neil says Canada is great

its an Albertan family. they have funny ideas out there.

[Malthus]

This is absurd. 

But the prevelance of homework is also getting out of hand. My three year old gets homework from JK.

Not planning to issue an injunction any time soon, though.   

[Capetan Mihali]

Canadian border officials everywhere shudder as they prepare for the impending waves of American preteen homework dodgers...   

[Admiral Yi]

Canadian border officials everywhere shudder as they prepare for the impending waves of American preteen homework dodgers...   

Canadian sculptors everywhere prepare their submssions for the monument dedicated to their heroism and sacrifice.

[Neil]

And Neil says Canada is great

It's Calgary.

After spending two days in Calgary last weekend, I am resolved to give the city the treatment that it so richly deserves.

Calgary delenda est.

[sbr]

This case should never have seen a court room.

And it never did, at least according to the article.  Not everything lawyers do happens in a courtroom.

[DGuller]

Homework didn't do shit for me. It really was a worthless waste of time.

Some people need that stuff though, I think. If they can't learn the material the first time around.

Agreed.  Personally, homework was pointless until college for me (which, ironically, is when it sometimes stops beings mandatory).  I either rushed through it in the class preceding the one when it was due, or just didn't do it at all.

[DisturbedPervert]

Homework was completely worthless for me at that age, but if it takes these kids so long to do their math homework that they start crying over it they probably need the practice.