Eye on Parenting Blog
By

Amanda Cochran /

CBS News/ October 24, 2011, 1:56 PM

Parents, educators mull kids' homework load

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Major hand-wringing over the amount of homework kids are assigned seems to be the order of the day.

A New York Times report takes a look at a shift in some elite New York schools' attitudes toward homework and kids' overall workload.

The article notes, "Armed with neuroscience, self-analysis and common sense, some of New York City's most competitive high schools, famed for their Marine-like mentality when it comes to homework, have begun to lighten the load for fear of crushing their teenage charges."

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But not everyone is happy with the decision to lighten the load. According to the article, there is a so-called a "Tiger Mom camp," that stands by the amount of homework assigned to kids in these schools and see the heavy backpacks and hours of study as a badge of honor.

Victoria Goldman, a mom of two kids who attended private New York City schools and the author of "Manhattan Family Guide to Private Schools and Selective Public Schools," told the New York Times, "There's nothing wrong with homework. These are the most competitive schools in the country. It's reinforcing what they are learning, and they are learning at the highest level you could possibly teach middle and high school kids."

Where do you stand on this issue? How much homework is too much? Do your kids have too much homework? Feel free to share your stories in the comments.

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MegaMomSC says:
My son has a great deal of homework, but considering that he is taking all Honors and AP courses, I do not think it is too much. If he is going to attend a good college and compete with top students, then he needs to be prepared for what lies ahead. There is no way to get as much information as necessary across during class time. Reports, projects, etc. are integral parts of the educational process.
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