Handout C: Consequences of Incorporation

Directions: Read your assigned part with expression.

Student:
Both my government teacher and my English teacher said that I will have two hours of homework each night. Together that’s four hours—this is so unfair! I’m going to speak with them. (To English teacher) Mr. Smith, will you please give us less homework?

Mr. Smith:
Now that I think about it, two hours every day is too much. I’ll assign thirty minutes about twice a week.

Student:
Great! (To government teacher) Ms. Jones, how about you? Will you give us less homework?

Ms. Jones:
These is so much to cover in this course, and I can’t do it all in class. You will just have to plan ahead so you can spend two hours every night on government homework.

Student:
This is really unfair. I’m going to speak to the principal. (To the principal) Principal Hart, what do you think about two hours of homework every night?

Principal Hart:
I agree that the policy is unfair. It only applies to government class. Students in all classes will now be given two hours of homework each night.

Student:
That’s not what I wanted! Now the entire school is affected by that stupid homework requirement. I’m going to speak with the superintendent. (To the superintendent) Superintendent Sole, my principal is violating the rights of students in our school by making every course have two hours of homework every night. This isn’t fair!

Superintendent Sole:
I agree that your policy isn’t fair. Students in your school have too much homework and students in some schools have too little. In order to be fair to everyone, I am going to apply my decision to all the schools in the district. From now on, every class in every high school in the district will have no more than 30 minutes of homework once a week.

Student:
Now that’s better! But some of my friends in other high schools where they didn’t have very much homework might not be too happy. (Long pause)

Student:
It’s six months later now. Can you believe this memo that the superintendent sent out to all schools?

Superintendent Sole:
Students and teachers: I have thought about the homework policy and decided that I gave students too much free time. I am changing the policy. From now on, all students in all classes in all schools will have 30 minutes of homework every night.

Student:
That is so unfair. I’m going to ask my teachers to change things. And if they say no, I’ll talk to the principal. And if they say no, I’ll go back to the superintendent.

Mr. Smith and Ms. Jones (together):
Sorry, it’s a district policy. We can’t change it.

Principal Hart:
Sorry, it’s a district policy. I can’t change it.

Superintendent Sole:
Sorry. You asked me to make decisions about homework policy, and I’ve made them for the district. I’m not going to change my decision.