HOMEWORK A PROBLEM IN MANY HOMES.Byline: Steve Carney Daily News Staff Writer Parents who thought their homework headaches ended when they left school find their children's assignments are causing them even more grief. A national study released Wednesday shows half of all parents surveyed had at least one screaming, crying, yelling yell v. yelled, yell·ing, yells v.intr. To cry out loudly, as in pain, fright, surprise, or enthusiasm. v.tr. To utter or express with a loud cry. See Synonyms at shout. n. fight with their children in the past year over homework. And although the vast majority said they're more involved in their children's schoolwork than were their own parents, they still feel it isn't enough. The teachers polled said they wished parents would take an active role in their children's education, but cynically believe that few actually do. ``How much do you push?'' asked Larry Smuckler, whose 9-year-old son, Jason, attends Haynes Elementary School elementary school: see school. in West Hills, and whose daughter, Jennifer, 12, attends a gifted program at Gaspar de Portola Middle School in Tarzana. ``Parents may push their kids to excel, so they can get into advanced classes. And then you find the work is overwhelming. We don't have any time to ourselves,'' he said. ``They seem to get a lot more work to bring home than I can recall, even in my high school career,'' he added. The survey of 1,000 teachers and 1,200 parents with children in kindergarten through 12th grade was conducted by Public Agenda, a New York-based nonprofit research organization founded in 1975. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the report, published on the Public Agenda Web site, ``homework is the vortex where teacher complaints and parental pressures seem to converge. In the end, teachers don't feel supported; parents feel obligated ob·li·gate tr.v. ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing, ob·li·gates 1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force. 2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; oblige. and harassed.'' Cindy Hanks, 46, a computer teacher at Christopher Columbus Middle School in Canoga Park, said she battled with her daughter and son over homework when they were younger. ``They didn't want to do it, it was too hard,'' said Hanks, of West Hills. ``I think they just didn't want to put in the work.'' But as her children grew, they took more responsibility for their school careers. Erin, a 17-year-old senior at Canoga Park High School Canoga Park High School is a public school located in Canoga Park in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, USA, within the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is located right across the street from the Topanga Plaza shopping center. , hit the books more regularly, and Derek, now an El Camino Real High School El Camino Real High School (also known locally as "ECR" and by some more recently as "ELCO") is a public secondary school located in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California. freshman, started playing soccer. ``He realized he needed to keep his grades up. Sports were his motivator,'' she said. Hanks said another governor is the fact she keeps in touch with her children's teachers. ``If I know what the teachers expect, it's easier for me to have the same expectations,'' she said. ``Teachers want parents to be involved. It really makes a difference.'' And the survey numbers bear that out. Teachers said in the survey that although some parents deserve the scorn, others struggle to find time to be with their children, and balk balk the action of a horse when it refuses to obey a command to which it usually responds. See also jibbing. at having it entirely consumed by algebra algebra, branch of mathematics concerned with operations on sets of numbers or other elements that are often represented by symbols. Algebra is a generalization of arithmetic and gains much of its power from dealing symbolically with elements and operations (such as problems. ``There's tremendous pressure with your real sharp college-bound kids to do a lot of reading and a lot of homework,'' said Philip Toyotome, assistant principal at Reseda High School Reseda High School, established in 1955, is located in the Reseda section of Los Angeles, California, United States. The current principal of Reseda High is Alfredo Tarin. The mascot of Reseda High is the Regent, a lion welding a crown and a scepter. . But he's seen the other end of the spectrum, as well - the children who struggle with the most basic assignments, or simply don't do them. And then there are the parents who don't care
"Don't Care" is a 1994 (see 1994 in music) single by American death metal band Obituary. enough to keep on top of their children's progress, or those who care so much about creating a better life for their children that they have no time left after work to help with studies. ``A lot of times these are parents who work very hard, get home late at night and simply ask their kids, `Did you finish your homework?' '' Toyotome said. ``They shouldn't just accept the kid's word. ``There are some parents who don't follow through. I sympathize with Verb 1. sympathize with - share the suffering of compassionate, condole with, feel for, pity grieve, sorrow - feel grief commiserate, sympathise, sympathize - to feel or express sympathy or compassion that, but that's a reality. ``I wish it wasn't like that,'' he said. ``I wish parents would have two hours of quality time to spend with their kids.'' According to a University of Michigan (body, education) University of Michigan - A large cosmopolitan university in the Midwest USA. Over 50000 students are enrolled at the University of Michigan's three campuses. The students come from 50 states and over 100 foreign countries. study, average homework for 9- to 11-year-olds increased from 169 minutes per week to 210 minutes between 1981 and 1997. ``At some point, hard work can only do so much,'' Toyotome said. Now he counsels parents that colleges no longer want just straight A's, but prefer a well-rounded student - one who has participated in sports and other after-school activities. ``Sure, let's have him study,'' he said, ``but not at the sacrifice of the rest of his life.'' Such a juggling act can be tough, though. Between band, sports, an after-school job, a social life and time spent with the family, students are stretched in many directions - just as their parents are, if they try to be active and watchful watch·ful adj. 1. Closely observant or alert; vigilant: kept a watchful eye on the clock. See Synonyms at aware, careful. 2. Archaic Not sleeping; awake. over their children's education. ``It's not an easy task, to do your own thing, and help them with their thing,'' Smuckler said. ``But the rewards are fairly significant. Their generation will be better off for it.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos PHOTO (color) Nancy Levin of Woodland Hills helps her son, Jason, 9, with five spelling words in the family's kitchen Wednesday night. Tina Gerson/Daily News Chart: More homework Gregg Miller/Daily News |
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