Should the teacher be expected to grade every piece of homework?

I saw this letter to the editor and just could not let it slide.

The web page is: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2009/09/08/20090908tuelets088.html#comments

I just watched Denise Donovan on TV discussing mandatory homework for our schoolchildren. I couldn't disagree more.

She mentioned that, beginning with kindergarten, students should have about 10 to 15 minutes of homework a night and that by the time they reach sixth grade, about an hour a night. This is not an extension of school - it's an overburden on the students as well as the family.

The children spend approximately six hours in school every weekday. That's enough. Give them after-school time to enjoy sports or time with their families. This would lessen the tension in every home and have the children return to school the next day refreshed and ready to learn.

Stop mandatory homework!
- Diana Blazek, Surprise, AZ


While reading the comments of other readers, I ran across this question from bigkoaz:

A question for the people commenting on this article, should the teacher be expected to grade every piece of homework? I know my opinion but want to know yours. Also, are you a teacher?

My answer was this:

My thinking is that homework should be mandated by every teacher, except maybe PE teachers. There are very few people (they call them "savants") who can see or do something one time and remember or be able to do it perfectly. If your child is a verified savant, then maybe homework is not necessary. For the rest of us (probably 99.99% or higher), homework is a necessity, because it is a chance to practice the material again and solidify the learning.

How many concert pianists do you know of that did not have to practice at least a few hours each day? Why should you think learning is any different?

Having said that, let me state that I am AGAINST giving students credit for "doing" homework. My policy would be that there would be no credit, and I would not collect it! However, if your child does not do well on a quiz or a test, cannot prove that they have done the assigned homework, has not taken notes, and has not participated in class discussions, then whose fault is it for the poor performance?

Most teachers I know work much harder than their students to produce quality lessons. If the students do not practice their reading, writing, spelling, foreign language vocabulary, math, music, or science, then how can they be expected to be able to do it well and maybe do it for a living?

Oh, wait, there are options for them. They could grow up to be a stupid politician or a drug dealer, or a con artist, or they could just live at home with their parents who thought that homework was unnecessary.

If you agree that homework is needed, then maybe you could talk this up and get involved in a good, grass-roots, conspiracy to create an educated populace.