Homework for Math does it really work? Why do we do it?

If you have taught math, we accept that we must think and practice math to be proficient.  And I agree completely - but why is homework the best way to do that?  Especially pencil and paper homework?

When I trained workers in the world - I did not show them for 40 minutes then turn them loose.  And they did not go home and study it outside of their day....

Yet that is often math education today.  I am really reflecting on why...

Is it truly equitable???

So often - it is just the way it has always been done...  I think that where homework fails - it was needed when schools were sorting students for college - now all are college/career ready....

With that in mind I am starting my second year of no math homework - topics for review, access to online review but no homework for all.

Last year it worked....   Started it the end of the first semester.  Our spring results were up slightly - so it was not an immediate negative.

And on the positive side much more class time has opened up to work, attitudes improved because students who struggled are not being asked to work away from class....

Thus I remember this quote:

        "Bravery is not the absence of fear but the forging ahead despite being afraid"    
         Robert Liparulo

 And push on....