"I think there's two separate issues worth examining at here.
My response:
"What are high-quality assignments? That's such a subjective thing, especially when the judges are primarily students and parents who are at least 1 step removed from the curriculum planning process. Maybe you're talking about rote-memorization like flash cards to increase a student's comfort with vocabulary. Maybe you're talking about readings with questions attached. All these things are helpful if used correctly by teachers and students. Parents and teachers need to instill an understanding in their students that practice after school is important to maintaining a firm grasp of the material. Study skills are important, and they are often taught by homework.
Quantity is obviously more difficult to discuss. With learning disabilities, extracurricular activities, etc. it can be very hard to figure out how much is too much, even on a per-class basis. But again, I'll point to the fact that study after study shows that school just isn't enough for students to understand all this material, and that students will not seek out reinforcement if left to their own devices. I'm not sure that we should be so willing to throw homework out the door based on the assumption that kids don't have enough time to be kids. Any parent will tell you that kids will stay up late to do that after homework is done anyway."
Shenk's intentions are good. Who wouldn't want the best possible results from their kid's education? The problem with his article is that without a discussion of homework in the context of the rest of the curriculum, readers don't understand the possible benefits associated with homework if all the parties involved make good use of it.
The first is an easy one. QUALITY. There is way too much homework out there that is ill-conceived, wasteful, overly stressful. Teachers and administrators should make it a point of pride to assign only high-quality homework: assignments that are clear, well thought out, efficient in their time demands, entertaining and inspiring if possible.
The second issue is a lot tougher. QUANTITY. Even in a world where all homework is quality homework, should we have a lot less of it, so as to give kids more time to pursue their own endeavors, and to rest, and to be kids? This is a difficult question, because on a subject by subject basis, it's easy to make the argument for the importance of high-quality of homework. So something has to give. My gut says that kids need that time to themselves more than they need homework -- even if it is high-quality homework."