Assigning Homework to Parents?

While surfing my numerous education blogs this afternoon, I stumbled on this post. A 9th grade teacher at Montclair High School not only assigns homework to his students; he assigns homework to their parents!

It seems that this article is causing a lot of controversy around the blogosphere. I think your opinion on his tactics depends a lot on where you teach. As a teacher in a suburban, upper-middle class school, I love the idea. I don’t think I would ever use parent homework as a constant assignment, but I love the idea for a special project! Of course, most of my parents are well-to-do and would have no problem completing an assignment alongside their child. However, we are a Title I school, so I do have a few students every year on free/reduced lunch. I also have students whose parents do not speak English. However, I would gladly partner with these students. I would love to assign something like this as a reader’s response assignment. I could have parents and students read a short story. Each would write a letter to the other regarding their thoughts and connections. I would write a letter to those students who could not involve their parents. Of course, this is only doable in a class where the majority of students have involved parents.

I don’t know…..How do you feel?