Posted on 01/24/2005 7:33:15 AM PST by KidGlock
Wisconsin student sues over homework
MILWAUKEE (AP) - A student whose vacation plans were spoiled has sued to end summer homework in Wisconsin, claiming it creates an unfair workload and unnecessary stress.
Peer Larson, 17, had lined up a dream camp counsellor job last June, but honours pre-calculus homework turned his summer into a headache. "It didn't completely ruin my summer, but it did give me a lot of undue stress both at home and at work," the high school junior said Thursday. "I just didn't have the energy or the time for it."
Larson and his father sued in Milwaukee County Circuit Court seeking the end of summer homework across the state. They argue that homework shouldn't be required after the 180-day school year is over.
"These students are still children, yet they are subjected to increasing pressure to perform to ever-higher standards in numerous theatres," the suit said.
School administrators have told the family that honours courses require some summer work.
Whitnall School Supt. Karen Petric told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the district did its best to address the Larsons' concerns.
"I strongly believe the district acted appropriately and didn't do anything wrong," she said. "Court is not the place to solve it."
While students will probably root for the Larsons, lawyers contacted Thursday questioned the suit's legal grounds. Larson and his son had acted as their own legal counsel.
"This is the sort of thing that has been traditionally handled by school boards," said attorney Thomas Schrimpf. Another attorney, Timothy Baldwin, predicted the case would be dismissed.
The Jan. 10 lawsuit names a math teacher, three school administrators and the state's superintendent of public instruction. Wisconsin's attorney general's office will assign a lawyer to respond to the suit, said spokesman Brian Rieselman.
Solution:
Sorry kiddo, you're no longer in the honors program.
He could have just refused to do the homework, and suffered through the consequences. What a waste of the court's time.
You're right. A real no-brainer. Sheesh.
Time and money spent by the court handling this case...
Denny Crane: "I look to two things: First to God and then to Fox News."
Poor baby! It doesn't want to do it's honors pre-calculus homework. Waaah!
What a ridiculous lawsuit! Should be summarily thrown out of court.
Instead, the little whiner should be dropped from the honors program. Let him go to some crappy college and slack off on his job once he graduates.
Maybe he could sue some future employer for asking him to do a little extra.
Poor baby!
A seventeen year old that doesn't have the energy needs a doctor, not a lawyer.
The real problem here is, as usual, poor parenting. We've ceased to parent in a way that prepares our children for adulthood. Instead, the current definition of good parenting is a measure of how much we over indulge our children.
Could somebody explain what they mean by "summer homework?"
I'm not familiar with the concept.
My 16 year old would be a junior in high school, but he uses our county's dual enrollment program, so all his classes have been at the state college and he's about to complete his sophomore year.
He's taken courses during the summer session but they are for credit classes, so what is "summer homework?" I've never even heard the term.
If this case succeeds, I'm going to sue my employer for insisting I show up and actually do work in order to get paid...
"The real problem here is, as usual, poor parenting."
Yup. I remember my father telling me, as I set off for college, "Son, this is your job for the next four years. You can take it easy there and get nothing from it, or you can work at it like it's a job. It's up to you, but one way won't get you anything and the other will actually prepare you for your future. See ya!"
I took his advice, and have passed it along to others. It worked.
Aaawww, the pooor lil' kid had toooo much stress.
I know some parents who homeschool their kids now because in public school their kids were given so much homework they were working on it from the time they got home to the time they went to bed. Unfortunately, lately, nonsense is taught in the classrooms all day but they pack the kids with the homework studies every night. Kids are still kids and need time to relax after school just like adults need time to relax after work.
Wsconsin is a blue state, right? Can I assume that this young man is a tinkerbell?
He had a choice. Pre-Calc or a Camp Crystal Lake Counselor.
C'mon, who has ever heard of giving homework to kids over the Summer vacation? That's nuts. Would you do it if it was you?
I can see that.
It sounds to me as if the teachers were ineffective at reaching the kids and teaching their subjects.
Frankly, I would have had had no problem whatsoever with the summertime assignments in calculus ~ they'd been done on the bus going home.
My only difficulty would be remembering in September where I'd placed the paper's I'd written in May.
If the school district lets in 5% of the students to GT or "honors" studies, they are failing to provide appropriate educational opportunities for the folks in the top 1/2 of 1% for whom such programs should be directed.
Milwaukee schools probably ought to be sued for fraudulent practice in this case. The kid wasn't smart enough to get the work done in 20 minutes, but it hung over him all summer. He'd learned more working at camp, and we'd all be better for it.
WAAH! I'm enrolled in college preparatory courses. WAAH! I'm not being cosseted by an overly intrusive judicial system. WAAH!
Jaime Escalante would have kicked this punk's ass!
-good Thames, G.J.P.(Jr.)
Sorry, Junior, you're going to have to find another place to get laid this summer.
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