Second Grade Teacher’s ‘No Homework’ Policy Goes Viral

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 | August 23, 2016 | By Brian Delpozo

The school year may have just begun, but a second grade teacher from Dallas has quickly become a student favorite thanks to her “No Homework” policy.

Brandy Young handed out a letter at Godley Elementary School’s “Meet The Teacher” night that explained there would be no formally assigned homework in her class. The letter went on to say:

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“Research has been unable to prove that homework improves student performance. Rather, I ask that you spend your evenings doing things that are proven to correlate with student success. Eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside, and get your child to bed early.”

The policy gained attention when parent Samantha Gallagher shared a photo of the letter on Facebook, along with the caption, “Brooke is loving her new teacher already!” As of press time, the photo has nearly 70,000 shares and a slew of comments, mostly positive.

The policy isn’t universally beloved however.

Duke University professor Harris Cooper, who’s written a book on homework, told USA Today that no homework is a bad idea.

“Homework is a lot like medication. If you’re taking too much, it can kill you. If you take too little, it has no effect,” explained Cooper.