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.
"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 had homework to be done in the summer all through high school in the early 60s. Most of it was reading. I did it all. Could be the reason for my 3.95 GPA. Seems to me that there was lots of time during the summer to take care of some reading.
I've heard of some schools requiring "summer homework" in preparation for AP courses. Now it's filtering to the "honors" courses!
I would advise my kids NOT to take courses that require this, given their summer situations (high-level gymnastics competitions culminating with the nationals in August).
Best...grudge match...ever.
Waaaaa.
That's why it's called "honors".
So9
I see a Bachelor of Fine Arts in his future.
Or the ever-popular and very useful Liberal Arts degree.
There is a lot more to the story here:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/jan05/294687.asp
And FR discussion here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1324555/posts
Article bias: ''A student whose vacation plans were spoiled...''
The young man's 'vacation plans' weren't ''plans''. He worked over the summer 'vacation' as a full-time camp counsellor at a Boy Scout camp--a pretty fair indication that the young man is also a Boy Scout. Evidently a number of people don't think of that as being an educational environment.
I agree to an extent - I have seen kids - particularly Jr High and HS with so much homework that is was impossible - and it is a problem with classroom time and teaching in general.
This kid is not complaining about regular homework - his complaint is with an honors program that requires summer work. He has a choice - continue with the honors and do the work, or don't do the work and drop out of the honors classes.
Really. Sounds like junior takes after his father.
(Points to very practical, diploma/doorstop.)
:0)
If the "Summer Homework" was to read a book or something like that that could have been easily done over the summer, then these people are idiots. If it was something that had to be turned in every week/two weeks, then they have a point.
When I was 17 I was a summer camp counselor. It was the best summer of my youth. I had spent the previous summer taking Trig so I could get into Calculus my senior year. It was an awful summer, and the effort turned out to be a waste, since I dropped out of the engineering field after college. I was only in it for the money.
The young man went to scout camp, but I don't know a camp that takes up the entire summer. And it is common practice for people to take reading material and study if that is part of the kid's goals.
If having fun in the summer was more important than the honors summer work then I would say the kid has a decision to make. The non-honors program will have very little in the way of summer work.
And while I am on it, lots of people (like hispanics?) don't like the idea of homework during the school year. "Educate him on you time, he has other things to do at home" -- Like helping out in the family business. The truth is that life is unfair, and people make choices. No lawsuit basis here.
School begins the first day of school. Not one minute before.
I took honors classes all through high school. Many of them required some reading or a paper or two to be written. When my classmates asked the teacher why, he said it was to weed out the students that didn't really want to do the work. He didn't want those students dragging their heels and holding the entire class up. If someone didn't want to do the work, they could drop down to the normal level. Oh, and by the way, I did all kinds of activities over the summer and still managed to find the few hours that homework typically took. If you don't want to put the effort in, don't take honors classes.
No. When I was that age, I worked over the summer.
Now, I did do band practice in the summer, but that was an extra-curriculor activity.
I don't think kids should do homework over the summer. They need breaks.
Once I found out this was "honors related" stuff, I changed my position.
The football team shows up before the school year as well.
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