proposal letter

3700 Union Street
Eureka, CA 95502
(Date)
Dustin Williams,
Pima County Superintendent of Schools,
200 N Stone Ave
Tucson, AZ 85701
Dear Mr. Williams:
Homework is one of the contentious issues around school curriculum development. On one side, educators associate homework with rigor and quality teaching. On the other hand are the opponents of homework in school, the majority of who are students. Individuals in this group posit that homework takes a better part of the students’ free time. In the midst of this debate, education experts maintain that homework is a necessary part of the education curriculum. According to Carr Schrat, students need to practice the skills gained in class out of the classroom to help them learn the concepts. This confirmation by experts, therefore, changes the focus on the debate about homework in schools from whether it is necessary to how it can be made more effective. Schools should embrace the residual engagement strategy which can be easily implemented through the collective efforts of parents and teachers to eliminate the challenges that confront traditional homework and enhance student learning.
The residual engagement strategy is an alternative to the traditional homework. Unlike the traditional homework in which a student is given work to perform out of the classroom by their teachers, the residual engagement strategy uses people other than the teachers to help students practice and master the skills they learn in school outside classrooms. In this strategy, a student is encouraged to remember what they learned at school and then try to explain the concept to someone, not their teacher, without being asked to do so.

The implementation of my proposal has no cost implications. The proposal is implemented through collective efforts between teachers and parents or guardians. A parent or a guardian is always in contact with their children. They, therefore, incur no cost in following up on the progress of their children. All that is needed from the parents is to spare some time to follow up on what their children are doing in school. The teacher’s role in this strategy is to receive e-reports from the parents on how they think their children are doing and suggesting improvements.
This proposal has the potential to enhance student learning by eliminating the challenges that confront traditional homework. One of the challenges confronting traditional homework is that its opponents argue it takes student’s free time. The residual engagement strategy eliminates this challenge by presenting students with an opportunity to practice skills learned in class outside school without the need to report to their teachers. The practice can be undertaken while performing other household duties. According to Vatterott Cathy, students learn better when their parents or guardians play an active, supportive role in their learning. The residual engagement strategy provides an excellent opportunity for parents to be engaged in their children’s learning.
Even though the strategy may appear impractical because not all parents are knowledgeable in the subjects that their children learn, it does not require parents to play the role of teachers. All they need to do is to ask what the students are learning and let the students explain to them the concepts.
In your position as the superintendent of schools, I beseech you to consider enforcing this strategy in schools to enhance student learning by eliminating the challenges that confront traditional homework. Consider making it a requirement for parents and guardians to follow up on what their children are learning through this strategy and report to the teachers while also suggesting possible improvements.
Sincerely,
Name

Works Cited
Carr, Nicole Schrat. “Increasing the Effectiveness of Homework for All Learners in the Inclusive Classroom.” School Community Journal 23.1 (2013): 169-182.
Vatterott, Cathy. “Five hallmarks of good homework.” Educational Leadership 68.1 (2010): 10-15.