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Parents and the Politics of Homework: Some Historical Perspectives by Brian Gill & Steven Schlossman - 2003Homework has been a topic of considerable controversy in 20th
century American
education, largely because it is a linchpin in the relationship between home and
school. This essay examines parent opinions on homework between 1900 and 1960 in
order to integrate parents’ elusive voices into the history of American education, and
to shed new light on modern-day controversies regarding the school-family interface.
The underlying question we explore is whether, in educational policymaking, the
family ought to march to the beat of the school, or the school ought to march to the beat
of the family? We conclude that if parents want homework, and if homework keeps
parents in touch with the program of the school, then it is the abolition of homework –
not its presence – that most threatens parents’ interests.To view the full-text for this article you must be signed-in with the appropriate membership. Please review your options below:
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- Brian Gill
rand corporation E-mail Author BRIAN P. GILL is a researcher in education and child welfare policy at
RAND. His research focuses on the structures of school governance, choice,
and accountability to both parents and government. He is lead author of A
‘‘Noble Bet’’ in Early Care and Education (RAND, 2002) and Rhetoric vs. Reality:
What We Know and What We Need to Know about Vouchers and Charter Schools
(RAND, 2001).
- Steven Schlossman
carnegie mellon university E-mail Author STEVEN L. SCHLOSSMAN is professor of history at Carnegie Mellon
University. His current research addresses various topics in 19th and 20th
century American history, especially in the areas of education, juvenile
justice, and military personnel policy. He is the co-author (with Brian Gill)
of ‘‘The Lost Cause of Homework Reform,’’ American Journal of Education
(November 2000).
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