Throwing Out Homework by Maureen Eich VanWalleghan

Last night I watched the Race To Nowhere, a powerful film. As a later mom, it was easy to see my future self in the mothers who were interviewed. The desire to give one’s child every advantage and to know that they are fully prepared to move out into the world is a driving force in myself and in many moms.

There was so much that resonated for me in the film, but one particular moment really struck me. I believe it was an educator who was teaching AP Biology who wondered when it became acceptable that “school” dictated private life, which is what excessive homework does.

As an educator, I have been anti-homework for years, mostly because it turned into work I had to address once it came back. Essentially, homework would dictate my “private life” because it would quickly became work that overwhelmed me and would be the thing that I constantly had to deal with at home: piles of homework waiting for me. Thank you, but no thank you. It was interesting to hear this same perspective from another educator, but considering the student viewpoint. The notion that students could and are getting one hour of homework per class per night is absurd. Depending on the students’ age and their school, students could have between 5 and 7 hours of homework per night. That is a crime and mind numbing to consider. No wonder kids and parents are stressed out!

As a later mother, I am very invested in enjoying my child. I waited along time before having kids, which was not completely by choice, but that’s how it turned out. I relish time with my child. I enjoy her company and all the fun she brings and even the intensity of parenting when things are difficult. What seems crazy when it comes to homework is that suddenly relaxation time becomes nonexistent. Between homework and extra curricular activities the joy of just being with my kid is no longer there. In the end, I did not have my daughter so that someone else could dictate how I spend my time with her.

Since my daughter is in kindergarten this issue of homework has been on my mind. My husband and I picked a school with a half-day kindergarten and no homework. The Waldorf charter school where my daughter attends has been wonderful. And the school’s philosophy of no homework till about 4th grade is great. But, what happens after that. Seeing the Race To Nowhere was eye opening. This issue of homework for our daughter in the future is real and scary. I want to enjoy my daughter as she grows. I want to her to play and to have time to be a kid even as she is turning into a young adult.

For me, the Race To Nowhere is a call to action. Our thinking about homework needs to change. Even though as a society we hate homework, there is this insidious notion that both students and parents believe: without homework a course isn’t challenging and students aren’t learning. In the film, the book The Case Against Homework is mentioned. A book I am going to read. Also on the “End The Race To Nowhere” website (http://www.endtherace.org/)—a resource for parents who want to do more on change “school culture” to better serve kids—there are a number of other books that discuss the issue of excessive homework.

Right now, I think we need a parent rebellion: NO MORE HOMEWORK! If every parent walked into principals’ offices across the country and explained that homework is no longer acceptable then there might be some change. But, the first step is believing that homework is a detriment. Parents really have to check in with themselves on this issue. Checking the statics to back up the idea that homework is not needed could help.

Walking into the principal’s office alone could be daunting, but getting a group of parents together to get this discussion on the agenda of school boards would have tremendous impact. Really stopping homework is good for everyone: parents, kids and teachers. I can hear the chanting now: NO MORE HOMEWORK!, NO MORE HOMEWORK!, NO MORE HOMEWORK! When mothers want change to happen, it happens. Let's unleash the mommy factor and get rid of homework...

What Happens When Moms Have Vision? by Maureen Eich VanWalleghan

I want to take a moment and promote a film I think can have far reaching consequences for children in this country. Mother, Vicki Abeles has created a documentary, Race to Nowhere, that looks at our education system and the competitive culture it has spawned in the United States today. As a filmmaker, I am impressed with her work; as a mother, I am inspired by her drive and vision; as a educator, I am thankful for the discussion this film is generating across the country.

The website, www.racetonowhere.com is set up to facilitate grassroots screenings of this film, which had a theatrical release in September 2010. Through the screening tab one can find a screening in their state and also host a screening in their local area. Conceptually, it is the tupperware party concept writ large. What is so wonderfully inspiring about this moment for me, is how once again it is a mother who has taken a spotlight to an issue that needs addressing. And Ms. Abeles has gone one step further and created a forum for making it possible to show this film in just about any venue—it is possible for mothers to bring this film home. As is the case in Prescott, Arizona, where three mothers went to see Race to Nowhere in Flagstaff and then decided to bring the film to Prescott—the power of women connecting to women is still so underutilized, but here is a moment when this power is being unleashed.

For me, so much of the invisibility of motherhood is how devalued I have felt in the role as mother. As someone who was defined by a paycheck and my work life before I had children, the transition to motherhood, with its intangible rewards, was quite painful and difficult. When I see the force of Ms. Abeles work and vision, I am reminded that motherhood is not just about managing an individual’s family, but conceptually, it is also possible to manage a collective consciousness and help determine what is best for our society.

Sadly, “divide and conquer” is still the norm with regard to women in our culture. All the divisions that are set up and absorbed into our psyches—that let us define ourselves and decided on the “otherness” of those we chose to exclude—means that the real needs of mothers go unmet. To define all those needs now would be to distract from my true aim, which is to promote Race to Nowhere. But this film’s distribution model is one that truly taps into the notion that collectively mothers are a force for change.

I hope you’ll join me in watching the Race to Nowhere and even consider hosting it in your area. One mother can make a difference, especially when she invites us each to do what we do best: connect with other mothers and manage our family, in this case, the bigger family of our society.