LAND O’ LAKES – Pasco County Schools Superintendent John Legg told the school board on Feb. 4 he thinks homework should be part of what’s used to determine their grades.
“I want our teachers to have the ability to feel they can assign homework and have grades attached to it in a meaningful way,” Legg said.
If this is approved, it would reverse a decision made by the school board three years ago to not have the results of students’ homework count toward their grades.
Faculty and staff members were also informed of Legg’s intention in a memo and YouTube video.
The idea of homework having an impact on students’ grades has been the subject of debates for more than a decade throughout the United States.
Some people contend that homework takes away from the amount of time students can spend with their families. Others have said homework is an important part of helping students learn in addition to what they have been taught in the classroom.
Students’ grades could be negatively affected if they turned their homework in late under what Legg is proposing.
Work groups are looking at ways to change the homework rules, according to Legg. He hopes new guidelines for homework will be in place by the fourth quarter of this year’s school year.
Legg said the school board will be informed of the proposed changes before they are implemented.
A couple of the goals of the proposed changes to homework rules include being able to reinforce what students have already been taught along with letting it be known whether they are doing well or if they need help, according to Legg.
Leadership changes
School board members approved two important personnel changes during the Feb. 4 meeting.
Lori Romano was appointed as assistant superintendent for support services. She’s responsible for, among other things, overseeing construction, student assistance, maintenance, planning and transportation.
Betsy Kuhn, who previously did that work, was recently appointed as a deputy superintendent for the school district.
Romano will also continue to serve in her current position as director of career, technical, and adult education.
Meanwhile, Kelly McPherson, who graduated from River Ridge High School in 2000, was hired as its principal. She replaces former principal Toni Zetzsche, who was recently promoted to become the district’s chief of communication.
McPherson had served as River Ridge’s interim principal for about a month. She had been that school’s assistant principal prior to Zetzsche taking on her new responsibilities.
