In general, to what extent do you think homework was harmful or helpful to your personal education?

Very helpful (22%) – "We only got so much class time during the day so my homework or independent work gave me the ability to dig in at my own pace and understand the material better, as well as come back with questions. It also served as a litmus test for the topics I wasn't as comfortable with so I knew I had to study for those or research them a little bit more. It helped me develop critical thinking and a sense of 'if I don't understand it right now, that's ok and I'll figure it out' that I think today's students sometimes lack."

• "As a younger student, I needed the time alone to commit things to memory, and it set the expectation that I had to devote time outside of school hours to studying, that as much as I wanted to watch television, I had to have my work done first. Later in junior high and high school, I was able to carry on the discipline. I kind of almost burned out my junior year, but that stress ultimately prepared me to go on and do harder things."

Somewhat helpful (30%) – "The teacher has a lot to put into young brains on any given day. Having homework also instills in young minds that they have a commitment to meet a certain level of education to achieve and they shoulder some of the responsibility for learning. It's not just on the teachers shoulders. It also in a form of relationship building between the teacher, child and parent if the parents choose to be involved in their children's lives."

• "Research shows there is no academic advantage to homework prior to 5th grade. After that point, a steady increase from year to year in the amount of homework does show advantages. Rather than waste people’s time with early elementary homework, we need to encourage reading to and with children from a very young age and allowing opportunities for creativity and problem solving for our young population."

"There was plenty of homework that felt like busy work, or having an assignment for the sake of an assignment. But really more often than not, having multiple intersections with a concept (be it math, english, history or whatever), by reading at home, thinking about the work at home, practicing the work at home, and then having it reinforced in class before and after those homework assignments, deepened my understanding of those concepts and created a long lasting impression. Practice makes perfect as they say."

Neither helpful nor harmful (18%) – "As a teacher, it's obvious that the impact of homework is all about how it is implemented. If the work is meaningful, but also low-stakes, then students are more likely to complete it authentically and without negative stressful impacts. On the other hand, if the work is perceived as busy work or beyond their capabilities, students are more likely to avoid it and look for shortcuts."

• "It really does depend on how teachers use homework. Often elementary schools use it as busy work to get parents involved with their child’s education and this depends on the family structure on whether or not it is successful. Middle schools that do not give homework but transition students to high schools that do give a lot of it are not setting students up for success. Decisions on homework, how much, what are the purposes of it and how can it complement broader education and personal goals are really decisions that districts should be having at the district level and involving educators from all sectors (elementary, middle, high) and perspectives. Siloed conversations by grade levels or teacher based do more harm than good."

Somewhat harmful (17%) – "For those students in lower socioeconomic groups, many times, whether they worked after or before school, or their home environment wasn't conducive to doing homework, not completing homework affected their grade. There is real value in completing homework; especially in courses in math and science. Thus those students who don't complete that homework, tend to fall behind irrevocably in those courses. If the work was all performed in the classroom, those students will have equal advantage, in my opinion."

• "Children of parents who work nights, don't speak English or are otherwise unable to help with homework are penalized for poor habits that aren't within their control. As a latch-key kid, I spent my evenings helping with housework or looking after my little brother and looking back at my report cards I can see lots of comments about how I would really benefit from a parent helping me to complete homework. On a macro-level I also think this teaches children that their free time isn't their own, which can lead to an unhealthy work-life balance as an adult and lack of boundaries."

Very harmful (13%) – "Learning should be done at school with guidance & help available. Beyond school hours, kids should get to be kids. School shouldn’t dictate what is done outside of school."