To the Editor:

“My dog ate it.” “I had family issues.” Teachers, I bet you that every week at least one of your students comes into your class without their homework and they have an excuse for not doing it.

But why are you giving them homework in the first place?

I am a middle-school student and I also do gymnastics 24 hours a week. If I get homework, I have to rush to get it done because I have only one day off during the school week. Sometimes, it brings my grades down.

Some students are staying up until 11 at night to finish the homework they get, and, if they can’t get it done, then their grades will go down. But, if teachers didn’t give homework, then kids would have more free time and their grade might be better, too.

Some teachers might say they give homework because it teaches students basic skills on what they are learning in class, but they already had six to seven hours of school, so why cut into their free time to do more school work?

A lot of kids are like me and they do sports outside of school. Some even have to quit because they don’t have time to finish their homework. I know some people who bring their homework to gymnastics and do it when they have time.

It’s easier for teachers if they don’t give homework, too. If teachers didn’t give homework, then they wouldn’t have to worry about chasing kids down to get them to do it, and they also wouldn’t have to grade the homework. That lets the teacher have more free time, too, because I know that teachers are grading kids’ homework not only at home but on their vacations, too.

Teachers need to stop giving kids homework so kids can have more free time and teachers will have more free time, too.

Cassie Snyder

Guilderland