John Bogna
During the 2017-2018 school year, there will be six nights homework is not assigned in Katy ISD schools.
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The idea was implemented after both students and parents lobbied for it during meetings with the District Superintendent Lance Hindt, according to the Houston Chronicle. Schools across the U.S. are taking a second look at the homework load being assigned to students amid complaints that students are over worked and stressed out.
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Maria DiPetta a spokesperson for Katy ISD said in an interview that instead of homework, these nights should be focused on family. “Kids really love this and really pushed for it,” said DiPetta. “The goal of that night is to encourage family gatherings, family dinners or going to a football game – anything geared around family.”
This shift away from homework, at least partially, is a growing trend in U.S. schools. One teacher in Godley, Texas said she wouldn’t assign homework at all, saying instead that students should spend that time in the evenings with their parents.
Another school district in Marion County, Florida told its students to read a book of their choosing for 20 minutes each night in lieu of homework assignments, pointing to research by the Washington Post stating that homework made no noticeable difference in an elementary student’s academic performance.
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