Unorganized, inconvenient deadlines prompt new homework policies
Physics teacher Javier Saez listens during a faculty meeting on Oct. 6, while Principal Paul Beekmeyer shares new homework policies.
October 19, 2021
Updated Oct. 25: This story has been updated to clarify the policies regarding due dates.
Overwhelmed and confused, students have struggled to complete homework in some classes with unorganized and inconvenient deadlines.
In response, Principal Paul Beekmeyer shared new policies prohibiting homework due dates on a weekend and assigning homework after 4 p.m. that is due the next day. He shared the two policies during a faculty meeting Oct. 6.
Prior to these policies, junior Charlotte Henderson found her history class frustrating as there wasn’t an organized way for assigning homework.
“Sometimes, I feel like the class is a bit unorganized because it is very ambiguous whether or not we have work,” Charlotte said. “Sometimes Schoology doesn’t update properly, so we’ll just be thrown an assignment Sunday at 8 p.m., and I’ll have a 30-page reading and have no clue.”
Math teacher Carrie Prystaksi has heard a lot of positive response to these policies from students in her senior advisory.
“There was definitely a sigh of appreciation,” Ms. Prystalski said. “I know in the past there have been times where students have been stressed over the feeling of an assignment they didn’t know that they had, so they had to rethink their schedule at the last minute.”
World language teacher Frances Spaltro agrees with the new policies, even though she wasn’t a teacher who was assigning weekend work on evenings or weekends.
“I think they encourage teachers to think about what is best for students and to assign work in a thoughtful and intentional way,” Ms. Spaltro said. “I think they are good policies to have, and it honestly surprises me a bit that those things had to be said, but I think it’s good Mr. Beekmeyer did it.”
Similarly, Ms. Prystalski appreciates the new set of practices and doesn’t believe they will affect the math department.
“I haven’t polled my department,” Ms. Prystalski said, “but I feel like it won’t affect us because we have the whole assignment sheet, and it’s just very standardized.”
