Dr. Cathy Vatterott Bio

Dr. Cathy Vatterott is Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. As a former middle school teacher and principal, and the parent of a college graduate, she has experienced homework from a variety of perspectives.

She is the author of five books, most recently: The Teens Are Not Alright: School and Classroom Practices to Support Student Well-Being (ASCD,2026), Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs, 2nd edition (ASCD, 2018), and Rethinking Grading: Meaningful Assessment for Standards Based Learning (ASCD, 2015). She frequently presents at national conferences and serves as a consultant to K-12 schools on student well-being, homework, and grading practices.

Dr. Vatterott has been researching, writing, and speaking about K-12 homework for 25 years and is considered an international expert on the topic. She has been interviewed by television, radio, print and online media on six continents, including the New York Times, National Public Radio, Time.com, USA Today, BBC World News Service, Al Jazeera, the Globe and Mail, and the Guardian. She first became interested in homework in the late 1990’s as the frustrated parent of a 5th grader with learning disabilities. Since then, she has presented her homework research to over 14,000 educators and parents in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Over the last several years, her research on homework and grading and her work with high-achieving schools has led to her most recent research on student mental health and has been the catalyst for her latest book, The Teens Are Not Alright: School and Classroom Practices to support Student Well-Being (ASCD, 2026) which outlines best school practices to reduce student stress and promote student well-being.

She can be reached through this website or at vatterott@umsl.edu