No Homework Wednesdays

I taught school for 33 years. There is FAR too much homework given to students. They are under enough pressure as it is. School is hard work! They get little or no recess, most pleasures are taken away from them, some are too scared to even go to the restroom because teachers have been told to take away the few minutes of break that they do get should they need to go use the restroom more than a certain number of times. Many go to church on Wednesday. They have homework every other night. PLEASE ban homework. Give these students SOMETHING to look forward to.

#1: -

Thank you for that comment!!  It is very much appreciated and hopefully will help others feel confident about their choice to sign the petition!

I would like to know why students spend all day at school doing work and then every teacher sends home more work to do every night. If you spend one hour per day with seven different teachers and all seven send home work when are the kids suppose to do extra curricular, spend time with family and friends and most importantly sleep? Home work should not exist! If you need makeup work or extra credit than parents and students need to schedule a meeting with the teacher and ask for help. Just my opinion!

This ban is unclear. Is it a ban on homework that's due on Thursday, but was assigned on Wednesday? It it a ban on assignments due on Thursday period? If a student knew about the assignment earlier in the week, he or she could plan accordingly.

#4: Guest - Unclear

It's about teacher's planning appropriately not to schedule homework to be due on Thursday the day before. I would think all larger projects should be planned with due dates on Tuesday or Friday anyway. That is how PROFESSIONAL educators act and prepare.

#5: "Really?" - Re: Unclear

Educators have Georgia guidelines to follow. As a result of the imposed guidelines, class work and home work are both necessary. Maybe if the teachers gave the scheduled homework assignments for the whole week, these students could plan accordingly.  Here is the link for parents, educators, and students that everyone must follow regardless:  https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/BrowseGPS.aspx

#1: -

If you taught school for 33 years, then you MUST know it is NOT the teacher's fault for the amount of class/homework given. There are Georgia Standards that all educators, parnets and students must follow. Yes, I agree it is way too much, especially on the younger students, but do not blame the educators who have to try and teach these students!! Learning should begin at home, but it's not happening in many cases, so it does all fall on the educator to get your students up to par. If you want changes, you'll have to go much higher than the educators!

#6: Happy Guest - Re: Re: Unclear

Isn't the State of Georgia's Department of Education disregarding the testing assessments for the Common Core program they've adopted? Some performance standards!!! One would think that if something is broke, it should get fixed. Including removing administration that has every intention of letting the majority of the students in this district to fail.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Happy guest just made a passive aggressive threat.

As a Christian parent and involved parent of the school, I know that teachers are very cautious on how much homework is assigned throughout the week. In most cases, they have a schedule of which subject gives homework on what day. There are five subjects. The most any assignment should take your child is 30 minutes. If it takes them longer then maybe you should seek tutoring for your child on other days of the week. I do not think that Wednesday should be treated as a Sabbath day. The Lord does not say you are not a Christian because you do what is asked of you on a Wednesday. Attending church, however, is a misconception of Christianity. I am sorry that I do not believe just because you attend church is open that you are a Christian, nor do I believe just because you are NOT there every time the doors are open considers you unchristian. I think to think like this goes against everything the bible tells us. In any manner, you do have a right to your opinion, and this country was founded on the ability for the people to be heard. I will remind you that IF the school allows Christians to dictate homework days, they will have to allow every other belief to participate in the process. There is a separation of church and state. If you feel that strongly, send the teacher a note and ask them to assign the homework on Tuesday or allow your child a later date, OR be a martyr for your belief and allow your child to carry the weight of their belief or change your profession to accommdate your family needs. I believe it is important to teach our children God's ways and plans, I just disagree that he would like his name being used to save 30 minutes of your time during the week when you have plenty of time to complete the task. I mean no disrespect, but if you are going to post your belief and opinions, please be Christian enough to listen to others. I hope you all have a wonderful day, and good luck with your petition. I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

#7: Happy Guest - Re:

In the future, I would suggest you copy and paste the specific exerpt of your topic such as homework and then put the link for it. No one has found the specifics on homework and it's probably given as a discretionay choice to the teacher of the class. This would be practical application of education skills in practice. No school district should be unwilling or bar any parent from voicing their opinion over their child especially when the Board office and professionals repeatedly blame "ignorant" parents for not have educated children. This is bad leadership at its finest.

#10: -

That's a very misguiding disrespectful response. Now, not only did you just figuratively tell them to "Shut up", you condescendingly disrespected their right to be involved in their child's education and even dragged Jesus into it.  I would suggest you and others in the administration a thoughtful ear to these people's request.  Those in the Board office do not have a record of excellence in administration or education to stand on. After all the complaining about parents, you all slap them down. Good luck with this.

#12: "Really?" - Re:

There was no disrespect. I do think they will hear what you have to say, but logically they will not be able to do this because of seperation of church and state. If the BOE allowed a religion as an excuse for no homework then sports, other religion, etc. would be ablle to ask for no homework. Homework is a review and IF you have a teacher giving your child as much homework as I have heard then I would have a meeting with them and the principal and see if we can not come to an agreement on how much is given. I just think the attack on teachers and the Board Office is a little much since this is a Christian matter. As a christian I stated my opinion and wished you luck. I am sorry you read what you wanted to into my message. I will pray that I am more clear on my intentions and hope everyone can be open minded about such an important topic.

#13: - Re: Re:

Here's the problem. Many parents want to be involved and teachers and administration treat them like trash. If I had a nickel for every statement made from Tattnall county BOE and Teachers of how the "parents" are the reason why we just can't do a good job, I'd be rich. Separation of church and state? Is that the moral reason behind your school district's amoral behavior to parents? If you were Christian as you say you are and even exude a tiny amount of leadership, you could have used this experience to unite parents with outside help with your students to bring performance up and even help bring up the low performance of this district. But you didn't. Tell us again who's fault is it that Tattnall County School District is a consistent low performer with low income minorities and drop out rates and school violence? That's what I thought.

Oh, and I would suggest none of the children or parents of these families be mistreated at school. That would so scream class action lawsuit with religious right suppression that could end up on Fox News or other media outlets. Just saying. :)

First off if a teacher mistreats a student by all means take the proper actions. The tattnall county teacher are professionals. That is what they were hired. The were not hired because of their looks. They were hired to educate the youth of the county. Some of you have done nothing but run teacher in the ground. Most of teacher have children that attend public schools in tattnall county. The problem that this petition has is there is no ground to stand on. Saying that there is not enough time to complete homework is not the teachers or the school boards problem. The students get out of school early enough to complete homework. The problem is not the time but actions taken by parent to get the job completed. I get it children ride the bus. Even if your child rides the late bus it get home before 420. The problem is laziness, and discipline. Some parents teach there kids on the couch is were you need to be after work. Todays youth are being riased by televisioin, XBOX, Ps3, and other gaming systems. The programs on television that some children watch, and the music they listen plus the lack of parent involvement cause children to think its ok to act disrespectful to teachers and classmates. Some if not all of the people signing this petition need to take a time management course. Oh and some parenting 101 may help as well. Instead of pointing the finger at other see what you can do as a parent to control your children and get the homework done. If your not happy with public schools go to a private school.

I can about tell you guest is .. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. Just ignore him. He is just trying to start trouble. Already has been elsewhere. Calling parents lazy. This isn't a laziness problem. It is a I have Christian rights problem!! If you don't like it, then fine! But, we feel we have something to stand on! If I see that being a Christian means being there every time the door opens, then that is what I see it as!! I put God first in my life, and it doesn't sound like you do!! It has nothing to do with it being the Sabbath. You know just enough of the Bible to make you a danger to anyone that doesn't have enough knowledge in it!

Tattnall county teachers are NOT just hired from how well they can get the job done!! They are hired on "who they know". Not all of them, but some of them!!! You don't know your facts!! If, and again I could be wrong, you are who I think you are .. you haven't even been in Tattnall very long!

I believe that standing up for what we believe in as Christians is very important especaily in today's time where it is becoming extremely hard to be one. I do, however, find it unnecessary to argue about it on a petition board online. I feel like if you have time to argue about it, you have time to be doing something productive somewhere else. Most of these comments are not "discussions", they're comments intended to hurt. Many believe that not having as much homework on Wednesdays would be a good thing. If you do not think so, then don't sign. It really is that simple. I, from experience, know that children usually don't get off the bus until about 4. If they have 5 classes and 30 mins worth of homework that is 2 1/2 hours of homework. Its already 6:30. The children still hasn't ate supper or prepared themselves for 7 o' clock church service. That's the point of the petition: to see who all agrees that having that much homework on a wednesday is ridiculous and to see if we can have something done about it. And to look at the amount of signatures, it looks like others agree also. That is all. If I offend some of you, I appologize, that is not my intention. My intentions are to help you all better understand what is taking place here. Thank you and please be blessed today and be joyful because were still alive, we have a savior who is still alive and Returning to take us home one day! I love you all!

#19: carmex cold-sore - just a thought

AMEN!!!!!

#16: -

^ This attitude is exactly what I am talking about..."Parents are idiots" mentality.

#18: Your fueling my fire, so keep the negative coming! I KNOW God is backing me on this!! - Furthermore

Yes, people DO get hired for who they are and WHO they know...Mary Fountain, anyone? Fired for alcoholism then caught with a DUI in front of TATTNALL BOE because they rehired her at the board office for who she was in Tattnall County? No morals from BOE, no shame whatsoever!

#16: -

Hey, wasn't BOARD members trying to use Pam WATERS Sentinel as propaganda for discouraging charter schools in this county? If we had a Charter school, then parents could "drop" Tattnall COUNTY SCHOOLS like a hot potato.

You people are so bias. Keep your religion, go to church, but dont take away from my childrens education because you cant make sacrifices for your religion in which he sacrificed himself for your sins. I have read my bible. Have blessed day

I will make sacrifices for my religion by "dying to self" things that I want ... I however, will not make sacrifices of my rights as a Christian to freely worship and attend church services without hindrances!! Let's all try and keep this a respectable way to voice our opinions. Although I completely understand why names are being used, let's try and avoid actually using names here. It isn't about that. I don't want to become a cause about something that it isn't. I completely agree on fact that some people keep and obtain their jobs by who they know, but most of us will know who and what you are talking about if you just bring up the situation, instead of the name. I only say this because I don't want any legal actions to come against anyone for name dropping. Please understand that it isn't me thinking what people do is right, because I don't. I just think these days you have to be super careful about protecting your tail end on some things. You do have a freedom of speech (at least should), so it is totally up to you .. just becareful.