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Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

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There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

Comments are closed.

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Racial slurs, showing sexual video among 73 cases of teacher misconduct reported late to state, dcps has updated its reporting process.

Anne Maxwell , I-TEAM and general assignment reporter

DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – An investigative report from the Florida Department of Education Office of Inspector General obtained by the News4JAX I-TEAM reveals chaos in the previous process of reporting teacher misconduct in Duval County Public Schools .

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The district has been under scrutiny since the arrest of longtime Douglas Anderson music teacher Jeffrey Clayton in 2023, which resulted in a flood of additional allegations and changes to the district’s policies and procedures for investigating misconduct.

In a scathing letter last April, the Florida Education commissioner threatened to slash the Duval County superintendent’s salary for the late reporting of 50 cases of teacher misconduct. School districts are required by Florida law to report complaints to FDOE within 30 days of the district learning of a complaint so the state can investigate further and see if a teacher should face consequences like entering into additional training or even having their teaching license revoked.

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Following the discovery of the 50 late-reported cases, the FDOE OIG investigated why the district failed to report them on time. The resulting report reveals that, for years, cases that should have risen to a state level of investigation, slipped through the cracks.

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He sent the late cases in April 2023-- some of the cases back to 2020.

Soon afterward, the OIG investigation uncovered additional delinquent cases of teacher misconduct sent that spring, bringing the total to 73.

Among them, were three allegations of teachers using a racial slur and a teacher at Douglas Anderson who was found to have shown a sexual video and made sexual comments in the presence of students, more than two years earlier. He received a verbal warning after a school-based investigation.

District investigators and administrators interviewed by the OIG said Johnson, as supervisor, was responsible for sending the complaints to the state. But Johnson said investigators were also supposed to send cases. However, he said ultimately, he takes responsibility.

The OIG report also shows that after Clayton was arrested , it was revealed that numerous investigations into him going back years at DCPS were never reported to the state.

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According to the report, Johnson claimed his office had sent reports on Clayton in 2021 and 2023 and that reports on Clayton from 2006, 2008, 2016, which included reports from before Johnson worked for the district, should have been sent but weren’t. He advised he knew why these cases were not reported; however, he declined to elaborate.

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Johnson was reassigned and retired after he faced possible termination for sending reports late. He said the experience has been extremely painful and he doesn’t want anyone else to go through what he has.

One former investigator interviewed suggested, “The school may have lessened the severity of the discipline in order to keep Clayton employed.”

The OIG report also reads, “Johnson reiterated that the cases were never reported due to oversight and the lack of an efficient case management system within OPS. Johnson declined to answer if he received any directive to not report cases.”

When the I-TEAM asked Johnson if anyone above him ever pressured him into downplaying a teacher’s misconduct, he said he had no comment.

The report found Johnson was responsible for failing to get the cases sent on time. Other investigators interviewed said Johnson, who is 66, may have been overwhelmed by a heavy caseload and high turnover in his office.

MORE | Former DCPS investigator faced termination for failing to report cases to FDOE. He says the story is more complicated.

A spokesperson with the district said they have added two additional investigators and increased pay to improve retention, and they are implementing the changes recommended by the report to make sure teacher misconduct complaints are reported to the state on time, as part of the district’s new student safety plan.

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IRS reminder for schoolteachers: Up to $300 in classroom expenses deductible for 2024

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IR-2024-219, Aug. 21, 2024

WASHINGTON — As educators gear up for the new school year, the IRS reminds schoolteachers that the maximum deduction for classroom expenses in 2024 remains at $300.

This deduction allows educators to offset the cost of supplies, materials and other classroom essentials, providing some financial relief for those who spend their own money to improve their students' learning experience.

Under federal law, this $300 cap is unchanged from 2023, continuing the adjustment for inflation that began in 2022 when the limit was raised from $250.

Who qualifies for educator expense deductions?

This deduction is available for teachers, instructors, counselors, principals and aides who work at least 900 hours a school year in a school providing elementary or secondary education. Educators filing jointly can claim up to $600 if both spouses are eligible, but no more than $300 per person. Educators can claim this deduction even if they take the standard deduction, and both public and private school educators qualify.

What's deductible?

Educators can claim deductions for out-of-pocket expenses on classroom items like books, supplies, equipment (including computers and software) and COVID-19 safety measures such as masks, disinfectants and air purifiers. They may also deduct costs for professional development courses relevant to their teaching, though it could be more advantageous to use other educational tax benefits like the lifetime learning credit (refer to Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education , Chapter 3).

Expenses for homeschooling or nonathletic supplies for health or physical education are not eligible. The IRS recommends educators maintain detailed records, such as receipts and canceled checks, to substantiate their deductions.

Use e-file to claim educator expenses

For educators who have been granted a tax filing extension or qualify for a disaster extension, or for any other pertinent reason are still in the process of completing their 2023 tax return, the rules for claiming deductions remain consistent for the 2024 tax year. The filing extension deadline is Oct. 15, 2024. However, submitting a return before this date can aid in averting processing delays.

The IRS advises taxpayers to file electronically for a smoother process, whether they use tax software or a professional. Choose direct deposit for faster refunds. For more details, visit E-file options to file your return .

Individuals who owe taxes should consider using IRS Direct Pay or other electronic payment options available at IRS'  Make a payment page for convenience.

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Five International Movies to Stream Now

In this month’s picks, a yoga teacher in Argentina adjusts to life after divorce, a young woman in London struggles to move past her painful past and more.

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By Devika Girish

‘The Practice’

Rent or buy it on major platforms.

The Argentine director Martín Rejtman has accumulated a body of deceptively profound comedies over the last four decades, the likes of which are hard to find in American cinema. Often spiraling out of absurd premises, they are low-key but whip-smart dramas about the tragicomedy of everyday human relations, which sneak up on you with their sharp analysis of life under modern-day capitalism. His latest, “The Practice,” follows in this vein.

The central premise almost sounds like a sketch or a gag: Gustavo (Esteban Bigliardi), a yoga teacher in Chile, has separated from his wife and has lost custody of his home and his studio. As he tries to find a new apartment and continue his yoga practice on-the-go, a series of comical complications pile up. He tears his meniscus; a new student (with possible substance-abuse issues) seems to be stealing from his class; another student, who accuses Gustavo of inappropriate behavior, is injured during an earthquake and loses her memory. Multiple other plot and character threads emerge and intertwine, each satirizing with rich detail a world in which self-mastery is all the fashion, yet people exert little control over their lives or circumstances.

Stream it on Tubi .

A pair of friends, Paulius (Giedrius Kiela) and Indre (Gabija Bargailaite), meet on a summer afternoon and somberly, with few words exchanged, embark on a strange expedition. They drive to several spots around their provincial Lithuanian hometown, and Paulius narrates pieces of a gruesome story that unfolded at each location, sometimes re-enacting scenes. It takes a little while for all the details to add up, but when they do, the full picture lands like a punch to the gut. Paulius’s brother was kidnapped, raped and murdered, and Paulius and Indre — whose relationship with the victim is revealed late in “Pilgrims” — are retracing his final days. Why are they doing this exercise? It’s never stated explicitly in Laurynas Bareisa’s stark, matter-of-fact film, which simmers with unspoken — perhaps unspeakable — feelings. We follow along with the protagonists, hoping for an explanation, a sudden twist or a revelation, but all there is to find are the hard facts of an irrevocable loss.

‘The Visitor’

Stream it on Ovid.

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Tim Walz's son Gus has a learning disorder. Can his visibility help disabled Americans?

CHICAGO – When Jessica Anacker was in junior high, a teacher pulled her out of English class one day after she was bullied by a student because of her learning disability.

Instead of disciplining the tormenter, “she blamed me for being bullied,” Anacker said.

An angry Anacker fired back, telling the teacher, “It’s your job to take care of it.”

Now president of the Texas Democrats With Disabilities caucus and a delegate at this week’s Democratic National Convention , Anacker is thrilled that there could soon be someone to "take care of" such issues at the highest level of government.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz , Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris ' running mate, has spoken openly and lovingly about his 17-year-old son, Gus, who has ADHD , along with a nonverbal learning disorder and an anxiety disorder. Walz and his wife, Gwen, both former teachers, said recently in a statement to People magazine that they never considered Gus’ conditions an obstacle.

"Like so many American families, it took us time to figure out how to make sure we did everything we could to make sure Gus would be set up for success as he was growing up," the couple said.

"It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’ condition is not a setback − it’s his secret power," they said.

When Walz delivered his acceptance speech inside the packed United Center arena Wednesday night, Gus watched from the audience with his mother and sister, Hope, and sobbed.

"That's my dad!" he exclaimed.

From the stage, Walz honored his family. “Hope, Gus and Gwen – you are my entire world, and I love you,” he said.

Gus Walz sprung from his seat, moved by his father's words.

He pointed his index finger, saying "I love you, Dad."

Advocates for Americans with learning disabilities believe the Walz family's openness about their son and their willingness to speak publicly about the experience will raise much-needed visibility that could help others who are going through similar experiences.

“It’s a good thing when people in politics, who are running for office, are comfortable discussing disability issues and don’t view it as a topic that is taboo or something that we shouldn’t discuss,” said Zoe Gross, director of advocacy for the Washington-based Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

When public figures are open about their experiences with disability or those of their family, that can lead more people to feel comfortable disclosing their own disabilities or talking about their family’s experiences, Gross said.

“That’s helpful,” she said, “because in order to talk about the needs of the disability community, we need to be comfortable discussing disability as a society, just like we talk about the needs of any marginalized population.”

'Now is the time': Democrats again dream of electing female president after Hillary Clinton's loss

In a sign of how important the Harris-Walz campaign views disability rights, Gwen Walz made a surprise appearance Tuesday at a meeting of disability advocates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. She made no mention of her son during her brief remarks but said her husband believes strongly “that every student and every person deserves a chance to get ahead.”

Walz is not the first vice presidential nominee who has a child with a disability. Sarah Palin , the Republican nominee in 2008, has a son, Trig, who has Down syndrome. Trig was an infant when his mother was running for vice president. Palin cradled him in her arms on stage after delivering her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. Amy Coney Barrett, appointed to the Supreme Court in 2020, also has a son with Down syndrome.

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'Fighting spirit': LGBTQ voters see hope in Harris campaign amid attacks from right

In their statement to People magazine, Tim and Gwen Walz said they noticed Gus’ special abilities at an early age.

"When our youngest Gus was growing up, it became increasingly clear that he was different from his classmates," they said. "Gus preferred video games and spending more time by himself."

When he was becoming a teenager, they learned that in addition to an anxiety disorder, he has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, a brain development condition that starts in childhood and is marked by trouble with maintaining attention, hyperactivity and impulse control difficulties.

ADHD in adults is relatively common and affects between 139 million and 360 million people worldwide, according to the Cleveland Clinic. With treatment, people usually have limited effects from it.

Can she keep this up? Kamala Harris energizes Democrats and shakes up presidential race

Anacker, the Texas delegate at the Democratic convention, said it’s important for people with ADHD and other learning disabilities to have people in positions of power advocate on their behalf.

Anacker is neurodivergent , a nonmedical term used to describe people whose brains develop or work differently from most people. She also has a speech impediment and dysgraphia, a neurological condition in which people have difficulty turning their thoughts into written language.

In high school, she remembers dissolving into tears because she couldn’t draw a picture of a frog during science class. As an adult, she has never been fully employed, she said, because employers have a difficult time making accommodations for her disability.

No matter who wins the election in November, advocates hope the needs of Americans with disabilities will become a priority for the next administration.

Gross’ group, for example, would like to see expanded home and community-based services through Medicaid, which she said is one of the most urgent issues facing Americans with autism. Many states have long waiting lists for such services, and people who provide those services are underpaid, which leads to huge staff turnover, Gross said.

In addition, advocates hope to see an expansion of employment services, a realignment of government research to focus more on quality-of-life issues, and a federal ban on use of seclusion or restraints in public schools except in cases when they are needed to prevent physical danger, like stopping someone from running into a busy street.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth , an Iraq War veteran who lost both of her legs and partial use of her right arm when her Black Hawk helicopter was hit by a grenade, said Walz’s openness about his son will benefit all Americans with disabilities.

“For so long, disability was a hidden thing – you took care of your loved ones, but you didn’t talk about it publicly,” Duckworth, D-Ill., said after speaking to disability advocates at the Democratic convention. “Many disabled people stayed in the home, are not out in the workplace, and we really need to normalize those people with disabilities in a normal society so that you can get the job, you can show people you can do the job.”

Regardless of the election outcome in November, Walz is already spotlighting ADHD and other learning disabilities just by talking about his son during the campaign , advocates said.

“We love our Gus,” Tim and Gwen Walz said in their statement. “We are proud of the man he’s growing into, and we are so excited to have him with us on this journey."

Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on X @mcollinsNEWS.

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Embracing autonomous building technology: you must do your homework.

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Brian Haines, Chief Strategy Officer, FM:Systems .

What if your building could adjust window shading based on the weather forecast, address an impending equipment failure or check in visitors, all without human intervention? Thanks to advances in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), technologies that empower buildings to adapt to occupier preferences, eliminate inefficiency and encourage productivity have emerged out of the realm of fantasy and into sales pitches.

But organizations should be deliberate about how they approach these shiny new solutions and stay wary of providers who present these technologies as a cure-all. Getting the most out of autonomous building technology requires familiarizing yourself with both its capabilities and limitations, understanding what you hope to gain from adopting it and laying the groundwork for its implementation.

In this article, we’ll look at how building technology has evolved to get us to this point, the potential risks of “leaping before you look”—and what organizations can do to mitigate those risks.

The Tip Of The Building Technology Pyramid

Autonomous building solutions are the amalgamation of information age advancements in real estate technology, from Internet of Things (IoT) devices to building management systems (BMSs) and smart meters. Today, sensors and meters collect the data, and BMSs help humans visualize and act on it. In the future, ML and AI will increasingly enable stakeholders to remove humans from that equation.

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This transition to autonomous building capability will not happen quickly, however. As impactful as these foundational technologies can be, actual adoption rates represent a drop in the bucket. While more than 1.5 billion IoT devices have been installed in commercial buildings, according to a report from SmartCitiesWorld, 90% of commercial structures operate with little or no help from digital technology.

Since 2020, the evolution of cloud computing, fiber optics and high-speed wireless data transmission has given rise to “connected” buildings that leverage these sensors, along with other technologies like digital twins and smart meters, to gain broader, actionable insights. Still, a Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Johnson Controls found that only 10% of respondents have fully integrated their buildings systems and equipment.

Today, we’re in the midst of the “smart” phase, where buildings parse these endless streams of data into projections, predictions and recommendations that can be actioned by humans. Three-quarters of buildings constructed between 2022 and 2027 will include at least one element of smart building technology, according to research from information services company Mind Commerce, and this type of building should be the norm by 2029, setting the stage for the leap to “autonomous” facilities.

There Are No Shortcuts To Doing Autonomous Building Implementation Right

Over the next decade, advanced ML- and AI-driven solutions will become more prevalent, as organizations upgrade from “IoT,” “smart” and “connected” technology sets. Autonomous building technology promises to accelerate progress toward sustainability and deliver better security, reduced costs and healthier and more productive occupants. But all of these outcomes represent the destination—the road to getting there will be different for every organization, and therein lies the risk for companies eager to embrace these innovations.

First and foremost, organizations planning to deploy this technology must have a clear understanding of what they hope to gain from a fully autonomous building. They also need to consider who’s going to be using it, how it will be rolled out and what eventualities may occur down the road that might impact usability and ROI. For example, a system built to handle only a limited number of data streams could require costly and disruptive upgrades, or even replacement, if the organization’s structure or needs change.

Knowing ahead of time who will be responsible for managing the system, and including them in the evaluation process, will help ensure that you don’t end up deploying a system that lacks features you need or leaves you paying for bells and whistles you don’t. That should also reduce the chances that you’ll pick a system that requires a steep learning curve to master.

Finally, to ensure that potential ML and AI solutions are secure and won’t compromise occupant safety, disrupt operations or increase liability risks, IT, HR, legal, security and facility management teams should also be involved in evaluating potential smart or autonomous building solutions. Tying all of these stakeholders into a holistic data management structure is paramount.

Gaining agreement about which data streams will be accessed and how they’ll be used will prevent disagreements or obstacles later on. Establishing protocols for interdepartmental communication about data, and designating who will be responsible for monitoring the accuracy and integrity of data flows, will avoid a “garbage in, garbage out” scenario. Adopting a standards-based data strategy can also help in this regard, while facilitating information sharing between partners and vendors.

A Careful Approach Now, A Better Outcome Later

Autonomous building innovations may seem akin to magic, and given the rise in sustainability-related regulations, the imperative to cut costs and the need to compete in a crowded marketplace, viewing them as a quick fix is understandable. But failing to define your desired outcomes and laying the groundwork to achieve them can make ROI elusive and push you further from attaining your goals. Cutting corners may save you time now but cause more aggravation in the future, while picking the cheapest option is likely to cost you more money down the road, as you’re forced to fill holes in capability, capacity or scalability to make the system match your needs.

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Iowa Department of Education awards grants to 25 school districts to connect students facing homelessness with resources they need to attend school

• Wednesday, August 21, 2024
• Press Release

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Education today announced that 25 school districts received a total of $424,400 in competitive grants to support transportation and basic needs of students and families experiencing homelessness. The Resource Hub and Transportation Grants for Students Experiencing Homelessness will help Iowa school districts address barriers that may prevent students from getting to and attending school by connecting them to critical resources.

“The transportation and basic needs of students who are displaced or experiencing homelessness should never be a barrier to school attendance and full participation in educational and enrichment programs,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “We commend the awardees for their leadership in meeting the diverse needs of students and families experiencing homelessness to reinforce student success.”

The following school districts will each receive up to $10,000 in Resource Hub Grants to create or sustain school resource hubs located in school buildings so students experiencing homelessness can access basic necessities to fully engage in school. Fund uses include personal hygiene supplies, clothing, food, emergency supplies, access to washer and dryers, portable shower units and materials needed to create sustainable food pantries and clothing closets.

• $10,000 awarded to Ames Community School District, serving Ames
• $10,000 awarded to Burlington Community School District, serving Burlington
• $6,000 awarded to Cardinal Community School District, serving Agency, Batavia, Eldon and the unincorporated communities of Bladensburg and Selma
• $7,200 awarded to Cedar Rapids Community School District, serving Cedar Rapids
• $10,000 awarded to Clear Lake Community School District, serving Clear Lake
• $10,000 awarded to Clinton Community School District, serving Clinton
• $10,000 awarded to Colfax-Mingo Community School District, serving Colfax, Mingo, Ira and Valeria
• $10,000 awarded to College Community School District, serving Cedar Rapids
• $10,000 awarded to Creston Community School District, serving Creston
• $10,000 awarded to Davenport Community School District, serving Blue Grass, Buffalo, Davenport and Walcott
• $10,000 awarded to Des Moines Public Schools, serving Des Moines
• $9,500 awarded to Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District, Eddyville, Blakesburg and Fremont
• $10,000 awarded to Fairfield Community School District, serving Fairfield
• $2,700 awarded to Indianola Community School District, serving Indianola
• $10,000 awarded to Newton Community School District, serving Newton
• $10,000 awarded to Northeast Community School District, serving Goose Lake
• $10,000 awarded to Ottumwa Community School District, serving Ottumwa
• $10,000 awarded to Postville Community School District, serving Postville 
• $7,000 awarded to Sioux Central Community School District, serving Linn Grove, Peterson, Rembrandt, Sioux Rapids and Webb
• $10,000 awarded to Starmont Community School District, serving Arlington, Lamont and Strawberry Point
• $10,000 awarded to Waterloo Community School District, serving Waterloo

Any district serving students experiencing homelessness last year was eligible to apply for up to $10,000 to purchase wellness items for a resource hub located in a school building. 

The following school districts will each receive a Transportation Grant to help with the cost of transportation for students experiencing homelessness so they can safely get to and from school. Fund uses include public and private transportation services, gas cards and in certain cases, vehicle purchases.

• $30,000 awarded to Cardinal Community School District, serving Agency, Batavia, Eldon and the unincorporated communities of Bladensburg and Selma
• $30,000 awarded to Clinton Community School District, serving Clinton
• $22,000 awarded to Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District, serving Eddyville, Blakesburg and Fremont
• $30,000 awarded to Midland Community School District, serving Oxford Junction and Wyoming
• $30,000 awarded to Nodaway Valley Community School District, serving Fontanelle and Greenfield
• $30,000 awarded to Sioux Center Community School District, serving Sioux Center
• $30,000 awarded to Starmont Community School District, serving Arlington, Lamont and Strawberry Point
• $30,000 awarded to West Hancock Community School District, serving Britt and Kanawha

Districts serving students experiencing homelessness that met the federal  definition of “rural"  were eligible to apply for up to $30,000 to address transportation needs and to help facilitate positive school attendance for students and families experiencing homelessness. 

Funds for the Resource Hub and Transportation Grants for Students Experiencing Homelessness are provided through the Iowa Department of Education’s portion of state set-aside funds through the  American Rescue Plan - Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) to support the specific needs of homeless children and youth in attending school and fully participating in school activities.

Additional information on the Resource Hub and Transportation Grants for students experiencing homelessness can be found on the Iowa Department of Education’s  ARP-HCY Grants webpage .