Don Crawford "Because many children lack the necessary infrastructure at home to accomplish much in the way of homework, reliance on homework can be seen as a regressive policy. Those who don't have the cultural supports won't progress as much, so the poor in family-support remain poor in educational attainment." Date sent: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 15:56:42 -0800 To: arthurhu@halcyon.com, education-consumers@ripple.dundee.net From: Don Crawford Subject: $11,000 per child and Homework Arthur, I know that money doesn't equal performance-in the current system. I just keep thinking about the money that is to be made out there when we get rid of the public education monopoly. As a professor I don't even break 50K. With 5 kids in my livingroom I could give myself a raise and I'm sure that I could more than double their academic achievement! Even the 6K per child spent by Washington State could do a lot in the hands of individual educators contracted to produce achievement or lose the contract. Bonnie Grossen's comment about homework should be understood in the context of Direct Instruction DI (Bonnie's a DI colleague). DI demonstrates that we teach to grade level and above without much homework - if class time is maximized and instruction is efficient. DI is more progressive in that way - we don't care if anybody in your family gives a rip about learning - we can teach you anyway in class. Because many children lack the necessary infrastructure at home to accomplish much in the way of homework, reliance on homework can be seen as a regressive policy. Those who don't have the cultural supports won't progress as much, so the poor in family-support remain poor in educational attainment. We can do better. ****************** Don Crawford, Ph.D. donc@wce.wwu.edu http://www.wce.wwu.edu/depts/Sped/donc.html (360) 650-4992 Fax:650-7516 Western Washington Univ. Spec. Ed. -Mailstop 9090 Bellingham, WA 98225-9090 I am responsible for the content of this message, which does not in any way reflect the position or policy of Western Washington University. ****************** The essence of individualism derives not from accumulating idiosyncratic affectations, but from stripping those affectations away.