Walnut Creek School District Seeks Input on its New Homework Policy

Starting this 2010-11 school year, middle school students in the Walnut Creek School District were not expected to do hours and hours of homework each night, and all of the district's K-8 students were to receive assignments that have a point to them and wouldn't hit them with new concepts that were not covered in class.  

Last spring, the Walnut Creek School District Board unanimously adopted what could be described as a kinder, gentler approach to homework. This comprehensive policy was designed to essentially offer guidelines, not strict rules, to teachers, parents and students on how to make homework a routine but valuable part of learning. 

The policy was the culmination of about a year's worth of study by a committee of teachers, administrators and parents. 

Last year, Wool said the district launched this committee to get a handle on the increase in the amount of homework students were receiving, a situation that was causing serious student and family stress. The emphasis on homework has arisen in our community in an era of  increasingly rigorous academic standards imposed by the state.

Now, one year into this policy, the district would love to get input from parents and children on whether this policy has achieved its goal: to bring clarity, sanity and fairness to the homework process. 

The district is looking for input by asking parents and students to take a few minutes to fill out this survey, which you can access here. You can give the district feedbook on how this policy is working for your family. The survey will be open through the end of Friday, April 22.