July 28, 2000

Office of the Commissioner
100 River View Executive Plaza
CN 500
Trenton, NJ 08625

Commissioner David C. Hespe:

I am writing to you to express my concern over graded 
summer homework from public schools.  I heard on the 
radio today that the state school board is in favor of 
local school districts assigning summer homework - 
providing it is not excessive - and then grading it 
upon return to school in the fall.  

This is outrageous.  I fully understand that the state 
testing scores are not up to par for a lot of districts, 
but to send home work that is to count as a test grade 
when children return in the fall is ridiculous.  
What happens to those children that transfer to another 
school district during the summer?  What happens to 
those children that are away in camp or other activities 
all summer?  What happens to those children whose parents 
want a break from the stress of the school year?  I'll 
tell you what happens.  These children do not get time 
to relax and take a break.  They are stressed out and 
turn off from school.  Come September it's a constant 
battle to have homework completed.

I just had the displeasure of attending my local school 
board meeting a few days ago.  Let me explain.  In June 
I attended the Burlington Township board of education 
meeting to express my dismay over the required summer 
reading program.  I have two major concerns regarding 
this program:  1. The program is MANDATORY, and 2. The 
assignment counts as a TEST GRADE when the children 
return to school in the fall.  I have been in this 
school district for approximately 2½ years and had never 
heard about this program until my 3rd and 5th graders 
came home with the packet of work at the end of the 
school year.

I questioned the legality of such a program and was 
informed that the issue would be put to the curriculum 
committee.  I suggested that the program become voluntary 
for those who want to participate and perhaps instead of
being graded as a test grade it could count as extra 
credit.  I also made several other suggestions to the 
school board as to what could be looked at for summer 
reading.

In July I attended the board of education meeting to 
hear the curriculum committee's recommendations.  The 
recommendation was to keep the program as is.  I was 
never told whether the program was legal and I still 
question the legality of such a program.

I am outraged at this decision.  During the open 
public discussion several comments were made by 
school board members that this summer reading program 
was necessary because it would only help to increase the 
townships scores on state testing.  If this program is 
so important then it should be completed during the school 
year and under teacher supervision.  If the school's 
curriculum cannot prepare our children for state testing 
then perhaps the curriculum needs to be revamped.  

It was implied by members of the school board that by not 
participating in this program we, as parents, were doing 
a major disservice to our children.  Our children would 
not be prepared for their first marking period in school 
and they would suffer.  The only thing that would make 
our children suffer is the artificial drop of their grades 
from the zero test score that they would receive.

I also feel that those of us who objected to the program 
were chastised for being "bad" parents by members of the 
school board.  All we were requesting was for this program 
to become voluntary with extra credit for those who choose 
to participate.  Those that choose not to participate 
should not be penalized.  Summer is supposed to be a break 
from school, a time where children can read for enjoyment 
and use their imagination in play.  During the school year 
it is next to impossible to do outside family activities. 
Our children are in school all day and have hours of 
homework in the evening, as well as clubs, sports, church 
and other activities.  When are we supposed to have time 
to relax with our children, have conversations about 
whatever we want instead of school work, and to have time 
to just be ourselves without the outside pressures from 
school?  

Once the curriculum committee recommended that the summer 
reading program stay as is, other issues that are of 
concern about this program were expressed.  Currently 
our incoming 4th graders have been assigned a book that 
has a 6.2 grade rated reading level, a book that shows 
drinking alcohol as a way to cope with a bad situation.  
The book, Abel's Island, was banned in Clay County, 
Florida, in 1990 as being against the school district's 
policy on substance abuse.  The book for incoming 6th 
graders is about a 14-year-old girl.  Is it really 
appropriate for children that are 11 years old to be 
reading about the problems of a 14-year-old?  Issues 
that a 14-year-old face are far different than the issues 
of children 11 years of age.  The incoming 7th graders have 
a book that requires the child to read German, then go to 
the back of the book to find the translation of what they 
read.  All of these books are accompanied by a packet of 
questions and lengthy activities.  This is not a simple 
book report like quite a few parents believed.

I am not trying to have the summer reading program 
discontinued.  What I am trying to do is have this program 
made voluntary.  What ever happened to providing a list of 
suggested books for the summer?  When children return to 
school in the fall they could write a book report on the 
book they hoose to read during the summer.  Let parents 
decide if they wish to have their child participate in 
this program.   It is up to parents to raise their 
children, not the school district.  

My children read every day.  The crash of the concord 
prompted one of my children to do research on that 
particular plane and then he expressed what he felt 
would be good designs for such a plane. My husband 
and I are both certified teachers.  We do see the 
importance of keeping sharp for school, but we feel 
it is the parents' responsibility, not the schools. 
I am sure not all children would take the initiative 
to want to learn about something.  I still feel it is 
the parents' responsibility to work with their children 
during the summer not for the schools to tell us how to 
raise our children.

If this idea of graded summer homework is going to become 
policy throughout the state, then perhaps the state needs 
to revamp the entire educational system.  We should be 
taking a serious look at educational systems that are 
utilized in European countries.  In Japan teachers are 
idolized, here in the United States they are ridiculed.

Thank you.
 
April Klein