October 28, 2016

Dear Future President:

Many students in America can't handle all the work teachers give. Teachers don't understand that we have other things to deal with. They need to keep work in school, not outside of school where we have to take care of kids or work. We don't have time for homework that could be done in class. The amount of extra work given to students needs to be decreased because homework takes up too much time which not all kids have, and standardized testing is very stressful on students.

“80 percent of high school seniors receive a diploma, less than half of those are able to proficiently read or complete math problems” (Lynch). This shows giving homework isn't helping anything because these students were given homework, and they still have problems reading and writing. 

The testing in school is also too much; students don't need that much testing just so the state of Ohio can increase publicity and competition among other schools. To be honest, most students are just guessing on standardized testing because they don't want to test for 3 hours. “A feeling of being overwhelmed with multiple tests can cause students to try to find different relaxation outlets. Sometimes, students turn to heavy drinking, drug or tobacco use to try and reduce stress levels. These unhealthy habits lead to more issues down the road, including the risk of addiction and all of the common problems associated with substance abuse” (Weyrauch). Our standardized tests are potentially pushing people to stress drink and smoke, which can cause lifetime effects.

Some may say students just don't want to do the work or that they don't even try and others may say students can do homework while babysitting, so we have no excuse not to get the work done. Although the counterclaim is understandable, they don't know that, are you not around your kids? Kids are too crazy to get work done.

It is clear that school needs to stop giving homework and cut down on the testing because it's only causing stress and possibly negative lifetime effects. Make it to where students would enjoy coming to school or at least actually show up. Make it where students have so many tests or not as much homework.

Teachers need to understand our lives are busy, and we don't always have time for homework. I just ask for school to not give us so much homework and maybe cut down on all the testing. Thank you for taking time to read this.

Sincerely,

Michaela Tucker