Top Writing

Top Writing One of the reasons I believe my daughter hasn’t yet tried marijuana is because she simply doesn’t have the time. We stand on the sidewalk for a few minutes, chatting. This algebra unit, on polynomials, seems to be a matter of remembering a few tricks. Though I struggle with converting from standard notationâ€"for example, converting 0. My older daughter’s homework load this evening is just seven algebra equations, studying for a Humanities test on industrialization, and more Earth Science. After a few minutes, replies started coming in from parents along the lines of “Thank God, we thought we were the only ones,” “Our son has been up until 2am crying,” and so forth. Still, because we are sharing our copy ofAngela’s Ashes, I end up going to bed an hour after Esmee. The co-op board meetsâ€"and over my objections makes me secretaryâ€"before I can start on Esmee’s homework. It is now time for me to struggle with Earth Science. If Esmee was struggling with the work, then perhaps she should be moved to a remedial class. I sneak in and grab her copy ofAngela’s Ashesand catch up on my reading, getting all the way to page 120. The hardship of too much homework pales in comparison with the McCourt family’s travails. Half the class’s parents responded that they thought too much homework was an issue. The teacher was unmoved, saying that she felt the homework load was reasonable. The husband is smoking a joint, and he hands it over. I haven’t smoked in a few months, but it’s Friday night and I’ve been doing homework all week. We part ways, and my wife and I go to a Japanese restaurant, where, as soon as I am seated, I regret smoking. It’s going to be hell trying to do algebra tonight with the head I have on right now. She says that in her class, they have more than one midterm every term. Because I happen to be in the middle of my week of homework when this year’s parent-teacher conferences take place, I am uniquely equipped to discuss the work Esmee is doing. And over the years, I have noticed that the amount of homework does let up, slightly, after the conferencesâ€"if enough parents complain. However, there is always a clique of parents who are happy with the amount of homework. I suggested that parents’ meeting to discuss their children’s education was generally a positive thing; we merely chose to have our meeting in cyberspace instead of the school cafeteria. My daughter has the misfortune of living through a period of peak homework. I tend not to get along with that type of parent. Over the next few months, the math teacher assigned a more manageable workload. My daughter now went to bed before 10 o’clock most nights. As the person who instigated the conversation, I was called in to the vice principal’s office and accused of cyberbullying. My wife and I decide to go out to dinner, and on our way up Hudson Street, we run into another couple we are close friends with. Instead, she’s watching episodes ofPortlandiaon her computer. The weekend homework includes another 15 algebra equations, studying for a Spanish test on Monday, and, of course, moreAngela’s Ashes. I tell Esmee that this seems strangeâ€"didn’t she just have an algebra midterm? The textbook Esmee’s class is using is simply calledEarth Scienceand was written by Edward J. Tarbuck and Frederick K. Lutgens. “The termsynergisticapplies to the combined efforts of Tarbuck and Lutgens,” says the biographical note at the beginning. By late afternoon, I am tired after filing a magazine article on deadline.