Student Sues to End Summer Homework

Friday, January 21, 2005

 

MILWAUKEE — A student whose vacation plans were spoiled has sued to end summer homework in Wisconsin, claiming it creates an unfair workload and unnecessary stress.

 

Peer Larson, 17, had lined up a dream camp counselor job last June, but honors pre-calculus homework turned his summer into a headache.

 

"It didn't completely ruin my summer, but it did give me a lot of undue stress both at home and at work," the high school junior said Thursday. "I just didn't have the energy or the time for it."

 

Larson and his father sued in Milwaukee County Circuit (search) the Larsons' concerns.

 

"I strongly believe the district acted appropriately and didn't do anything wrong," she said. "Court is not the place to solve it."

 

While students will probably root for the Larsons, lawyers contacted Thursday questioned the suit's legal grounds. Larson and his son had acted as their own legal counsel.

 

"This is the sort of thing that has been traditionally handled by school boards," said attorney Thomas R. Schrimpf (search). Another attorney, Timothy Baldwin (search), predicted the case would be dismissed.

I hate homework as much as the next student... but come on its not worth suing over... i dont think he can do that anyway.

 

Dont do honors classes if you're gonna b**** about the work load.

It only gets worse. I'd give anything to be back in high school.

As a parent who has seen this every summer for the last few years, I hope he wins.

 

If the teachers want to make these assignments, then their ass better be available for help when the students need it. Of course they aren't. If the schools cannot teach the full curriculm in the normal school year, then there is a problem.

 

Instead, last summer I listened to my daughter stress for two months that her 8th grade year was already ruined before it started because she couldn't complete an assignment.

It only gets worse.  I'd give anything to be back in high school.

 

Not me, college is so much easier than HS

 

I never have homework, all I have to do is go to class for like 2 hours a day 4 times a week and then im free for the rest of the time..

 

Its way better than HS ever was.. 8 hour days and homework for each class was such bulls***

Not me, college is so much easier than HS

 

I never have homework, all I have to do is go to class for like 2 hours a day 4 times a week and then im free for the rest of the time..

 

Its way better than HS ever was.. 8 hour days and homework for each class was such bulls***

 

you never have or you never do homework? in between my weekly classes they always give me a crapload to read. of course i hardly ever read it unless i absolutely have to, say for a test...

So instead of just doing the homework, they spent money complaining about it? That's rather silly. I bet the judge loved that one.

i've never heard of homework in the summer. it counts for the next year?

i've never heard of homework in the summer. it counts for the next year?

 

Yeah....I used to have books read going into the next the English class or certain papers done before walking into a history class.

What kind of moron assigns homework over the summer? :banghead

What kind of moron assigns homework over the summer?  :banghead

 

It's becoming the norm. Almost every English Lit course requires a novel be read over the summer. That I can kind of understand, yet it puts transfer students at a disadvantage. Calculus homework and some of the other core subjects really suck with this. No one to help if a kid gets stuck.

Reading books over the summer seems normal, but other subjects seems odd.

I remember in like 5th or 6th grade they gave us this big math packet and said our teacher next year would collect it for a grade and i didnt do it but alot of people did and they didnt collect it or anything so i was lucky

the only thing I had to do in HS was read a book or two, no big deal.

It's an honors class, so he should expect more homework out of it. Sure, it's stupid to give out homework in the summer, but suing just because of homework is not very smart either.

Boy are some people in shock when they hit college...

Ever since I transfered to a public school, we never have any homework over the summer. Back in the day when I went to a catholic school I had a math packet and like 5 books to read over the summer. That really sucked. Now all I do in the summer is play baseball, work, and hang out with friends, that is the way it should be.

What kind of moron assigns homework over the summer?  :banghead

 

Yeah, never heard of that I rarely did homework at home..I usually had study hall as the last class of the day and did it there..

I had to read 3 books for eng. lit. before my soph. year and before this year, but that's the only summer hw i've ever had. I'm taking AP English next year, so I'm sure I'll have at least 3 or 4 books to read, but you won't hear me complaining. It's just something that comes along with taking AP or honors classes. Although I do agree that it would be hard to do math over the summer if you had no one to teach you how to do it.

I had to read 3 books for eng. lit. before my soph. year and before this year, but that's the only summer hw i've ever had.  I'm taking AP English next year, so I'm sure I'll have at least 3 or 4 books to read, but you won't hear me complaining.  It's just something that comes along with taking AP or honors classes.  Although I do agree that it would be hard to do math over the summer if you had no one to teach you how to do it.

That makes me glad that my school doesn't give homework over the summer like that. I'm in AP and honors classes but have never had any homework over the summer.

It's an honors class, so he should expect more homework out of it. Sure, it's stupid to give out homework in the summer, but suing just because of homework is not very smart either.

 

Maybe it was for his Citizenship in the Nation class

Let's see here ... The US keeps falling farther and farther behind European and Asian nations in quality of education and our students feel they're entitled to a homework free summer.

 

This is more of an indictment of our national priorities than it is a slap at you guys. That's all you guys know. It's not your fault.

 

One day, our failure to get, and expect, the maximum performance from our youth is going to come back to haunt us.

In my last 2 years of High School I got regular Summer Vacation Homework that I had to do, especially reading books for English. I know it isn't glamorous, but you'll be glad you read the book and answered some topic questions then, instead of a day or two before a big exam.

Let's see here ... The US keeps falling farther and farther behind European and Asian nations in quality of education and our students feel they're entitled to a homework free summer. 

 

This is more of an indictment of our national priorities than it is a slap at you guys.  That's all you guys know.  It's not your fault. 

 

One day, our failure to get, and expect, the maximum performance from our youth is going to come back to haunt us.

 

YASNY,

I agree with the summer reading program stuff, but the science, math, and other subjects I have a problem with. If the program is going to really work, the teachers have to be available as well. Whether it is once a week, via email, via phone, or whatever, the rest of the puzzle needs to be there as well.

Let's see here ... The US keeps falling farther and farther behind European and Asian nations in quality of education and our students feel they're entitled to a homework free summer. 

 

This is more of an indictment of our national priorities than it is a slap at you guys.  That's all you guys know.  It's not your fault. 

 

One day, our failure to get, and expect, the maximum performance from our youth is going to come back to haunt us.