THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 15, 1996 TAG: 9610150003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 29 lines
I am a junior at Norfolk Collegiate School and I think that the proposed grading system for Norfolk Public Schools is the most contradictory one I have ever seen. The worst aspect is the homework issue. Students will not be penalized for NOT doing homework, but they can have five points added to their final grade if they do.
If this grading scale goes into effect, many students will not even bother with their homework. A lot of them do not even do it now, and if their grade stays the same, do you think they will do it?
We've been taught that homework teaches responsibility and discipline. It is also the main device that teachers use for practice. How can a student learn the subject without the proper practice?
I am not only saying this from my experience in Norfolk Collegiate, because I went to Norfolk Public Schools from first grade until ninth grade (Ocean View Elementary, Northside Middle and Granby High School).
Superintendent Roy D. Nichols said that the most important thing is to ensure that students are mastering the subject they were studying. If they can pass classroom tests, there's no reason to penalize them for failing to do homework. Does everyone in the city really want a superintendent who does not fully support homework as an aspect in student life?
JOSEPH SLEEPER
Norfolk, Sept. 26, 1996 by CNB