‘No homework’ policy continues

Long before a single teacher in a Texas school started a social media firestorm by discontinuing additional homework outside of regular classwork, Snow Hill Middle School is on its second year of offering exactly that to all students in every subject, at every grade level.

There are conditions, and some minor changes to last year’s policy, for those parents who have new or returning students to that school. Students who do not complete the day’s assignments are still responsible for that work, pupils are asked to read at least 20 minutes per night and both seventh and eighth grade students may be assigned additional practice when new mathematical concepts are introduced.

Those practice assignments should take only 20 minutes to complete, Principal Mrs. Chris Welch said, and will never, by themselves, negatively affect a students’ grade.

“If a student does not understand the practice assignment, it is the responsibility of him or her to ask the teacher for assistance,” the policy reads. “At any time, a parent or student can request additional material/assignments for any subject to reinforce skills taught during the school day.”

Those assignments will be drawn from online and print sources that are consistent with the school’s curricula, and are not just busywork, Welch said.
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