I realize this title is nearly identical to a previous title. Bear with me, I clearly possess no creativity of any kind.
In April of last year, Tanya McDowell of Connecticut made headlines because she lied about her address in order to get her son into a better public school district. She lied because she is homeless. Last week, she was sentenced to five years in prison and will pay no more than $6,200 to the Norwalk, CT school system for her son's "stolen" education.
This is a difficult issue, and it has been from the time it first made headlines to the present, now that McDowell's verdict is in. While I don't necessarily approve of people lying in order to get ahead, I do approve of parents who ferociously advocate for their children. Ms. McDowell wanted her son to go to a better school than the one in her town, and she found a way (by telling a lie) to do it. Can we all do this? No. If we did this in the Boston area, Brookline and Newton would be overrun. But should we all have to go to jail if we did? I don't think so.
Of course, the press has not been able to separate the issue of the lie from the fact that she is/has been a drug dealer. She was caught selling narcotics to undercover officers, for which she will also serve time. I don't see the connection between these two: why she was dealing drugs is irrelevant to her decisions regarding her son.
What it comes down to for me is this: public school is public. It is free for all through our taxes, and we need to work harder in our communities to make our schools decent. While I understand that what Ms. McDowell did was wrong, I can't say that I blame her. We all want better for our children, and I can't condemn anyone who will work so hard and risk so much for hers.
It's a severe legal oversight that homeless people have no residential status for the purpose of school district attendance. This legal gap actually creates an inability of a Connecticut resident to attend ANY school in Connecticut, which (without being a lawyer I'd guess) removes this citizen's right to attend public schools. This kid is screwed anyways unless they are lucky enough to get a foster parent or family member to keep them out of a home, let's wish him/her luck.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like she was trying to help her kid break free of her detrimental lifestyle. I can't say I blame her. Where did you find this article? You should post the original source at the end.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a moving story. It is brief but really emotional. I really feel bad for the woman who has to be punished for loving her son. It is bad to lie but if the lie is harmless, then jail is too extreme. The local government should be ashamed of not being able to provide quality education to some students, just because their parents settled in certain cities. I thought it is public education. Good story Tanya.
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