A homeless woman was arrested yesterday for allegedly enrolling her son in Brookside Elementary when she actually lived in Bridgeport according to stories today in The Hour and CT Post. She's been charged with first-degree larceny because police estimate the education services she "stole" cost taxpayers $15, 866.
Tonya McDowell, 33, apparently has no fixed address. A man she knew in Bridgeport let her spend nights at his house, but she had to leave each morning. Sometimes she stayed at the Open Door Shelter in South Norwalk. She paid a babysitter who lived in South Norwalk's Rodner Court project $100 a week to look after her son between 3 pm and 6 pm. She allegedly gave the babysitter's address as her permanent address when enrolling her son.
This situation has really been troubling me. I understand that it's wrong to send children to schools that they are not eligible to attend, but I wonder whether criminalizing the activity is the right way to address this situation and ones like it?
It looks like this is a case of a poor woman trying to do the right thing by her child by ensuring that he/she attended a school and had a place to go to afterwards. Instead of referring the matter to the police for criminal investigation, could social services have gotten involved instead?
From initial reports it doesn't seem that NPS was involved. Superintendent Susan Marks tells The Hour that she was not aware of the arrest, and Board Chairman Jack Chiaramonte tells the CT Post:
What do you think? Should parents who send their children to schools in other districts be arrested? Is there something wrong with making an example out of a poor woman?
I know that this topic of out of district students has been brought up on the blog before. I'm curious, though about how the district has been addressing this issue. What does a teacher or a principal do if they find out a student doesn't live in Norwalk?
"I don't get that at all. Usually when they find a kid out of district they send him back. I have never heard of people being arrested for it, but I am not sure of the law. For my understanding, whenever we find someone from another district we send them back.From the city side it seems that Mayor Richard Moccia knew of the situation. The article says, "Moccia said as budgets get tighter efforts to identify out-of-district students will intensify. He says, "This now sends a message to other parents that may have been living in other towns and registering their kids with phony addresses."
What do you think? Should parents who send their children to schools in other districts be arrested? Is there something wrong with making an example out of a poor woman?
I know that this topic of out of district students has been brought up on the blog before. I'm curious, though about how the district has been addressing this issue. What does a teacher or a principal do if they find out a student doesn't live in Norwalk?
Posts
unfortunate but Norwalk has to send a message that if you don't live here don't send your kids here. this sends the message loud and clear.
ReplyDeleteAt Kendall there are numerous students that are known to not live in Norwalk. Glad there is someone finally doing something about it. I am sick of my tax payer dollars being spent on people who don't even live here. Enough is enough!!! The people who live in Norwalk who are lying about these people should be fined as well!!
ReplyDeleteI heard there is a director from a local preschool who does not live in Norwalk but she sends her child to Columbus and uses a relatives address. Who actually follows up on these things?
ReplyDeleteIt seems, from the comments above, that taxpayers don't want their tax dollars supporting children from other districts. It's an interesting study on how we feel about poor children and how they are treated in this country. What are our values? Has anyone mentioned how disturbing this was to the child? Do we, as a society, believe that the 'right thing' was done by having the parent arrested? This issue is far bigger than a parent wanting a better education for her child. Have we become a 'me and my children only' society? What is really at stake here? I wonder.
ReplyDeleteI think that we have a society of entitlement. People think its ok to take advantage of the system. They teach their children to lie about jobs so that they qualify for free lunch. They teach their children to lie about where they live so they can go to school where they would like them to go. I mean I would love my child to go to harvard but if it's by in my cards and that's what I would like then I have to work and take on moreto make it happen or make sure my child works hard to qualify for scholarships. They want their child to go to school in Norwalk then work and do what you need to to make that happen legally!!! Stop putting your child in these positions in the first place. That's neglectful in the first place to do that to your child. What values are they teaching them.
ReplyDeleteThis is a particularly sad case, one that would best have been resolved by determining which district is responsible for educating the student and then sending the student to the appropriate school in that district. As far back as I recall, that is the way it has been done.
ReplyDeleteIt serves no one's interests to arrest a woman who is too poor to afford her own place to live because there is no way that the district will ever get its money from this woman.
It may well be true that Dr. Marks didn't know anything about the arrest, but unless this case is different than any other, someone from the central office was directly involved. It shouldn't take too much of an investigation to find out whose brainstorm resulted in the arrest. First determine who gave the order to the person hired to investigate this case. A principal doesn't do that, nor does someone from the mayor's office. Look for a board of education administrator, but don't expect anyone to confess. Look instead for a lot of finger pointing.
HOW DOES ONE anonymously notify [anyone] that they are aware of children who DO NOT belong in their school? Is there a safe place to make this known? I know the principal does not want to know about it, certainly she does not want her #s to decrease, but man, we have the problem at our school. Moina, or anyone, have any ideas?
ReplyDeleteSend an email directly to the Asst Super or to the Dir of Elem Educ. That is a good way to make it known.
ReplyDeleteThe past practice is to notify the parent that the child does not belong in the school. It should not have resulted in an arrest. Police don't just arrest a person because someone tells them to. There is some kind of investigation done by the police dept. Perhaps there is more to the story than we know?
ReplyDeleteOut of district placement has typically been done by the Director of Elementary Education. I've heard that this director doesn't do it, though....Not sure what the story is.
Isn't there anyone who will stand up and demand that the child at least finish out the year in Norwalk? This is an innocent child.
ReplyDeleteAre we really that selfish and callous?
Would you vote against the health care bill that protects children? After all, those are your taxes.
I thought we had a caregiver clause that allows for out of district placement if the caregiver lives in the school's district? In this case of a homeless woman this seems over the top harsh and the way it was handled will only hurt the child. I do think we need to find a way to limit out of district enrollment but this is not the way!
ReplyDeleteAs for the bus picking up at the train station, I would think those are side by side or CGS kids - we do have interdistrict schools here in Norwalk. Are you saying that bus picks up and goes to one of our other schools? Or is that just a stop near the train station to pick up the children that live near the station?
There is a process to apply for out of district placement if you want to use a caregiver address. You can't just do come.
ReplyDeleteThere are many more students who are out of district than anyone can imagine. I am happy to see someone doing something about it. Maybe a little extreme but it sends a message that has to be sent.
Schools will never change until EVERYONE is held accountable.
Out of district (meaning not living in Norwalk) students are a real problem in our schools. The burden is put on building principals to verify residence, but parents only have to produce proof when they first enroll their child in school. This might mean giving proof in kindergarten, and then never again for 12 years. Many people lie, use residency affidavits, or a family member's address. With our very crowded schools and stretched budgets, we cannot afford to educate students from Bridgeport, Stratford, Shelton or anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteSometimes children tell the truth about living in another city. In other instances, teachers have repeatedly been stuck in I-95 commuting traffic with students in their school. Mail may be returned as undeliverable, or anonymous tipsters call or write the school to turn someone in.
The next step is to send an outreach worker to verify residence. Unfortunately, they only work school hours, so this is not always fruitful. Parents are asked to bring in current residency documentation. At this point, some parents will withdraw their child and enroll them in their own town. Again, this is where the deception outlined above comes in. Requests for residency investigations are sent to central office, but they often go nowhere. This has been the case for many years, and cannot be laid at the doorstep of the
At the building level, we are left with frustrated teachers (who know that they have a child who doesn't belong in our school)who think we aren't responsive, and hostile angry parents. People tend to take this very personally. Some parents feel that their child should go to school where it is most convenient for them.
No one wants to penalize children, certainly any homeless child has enough working against them. I do feel that this highly publicized case is an exception, rather than the rule. We should look at the big picture - how can Norwalk ensure that only Norwalk residents are attending our schools - and not just focus on this particular case.
sorry - forgot to finish a sentence.
ReplyDeleteThis cannot be laid at the doorstep of the current Director of Elementary Education. It has been going on for many years.
I read an article about this and it seemed to me that this all came about because they were trying to evict the woman who lied for the mother. It's obvious that this was a special case. However, I would love to send my children to a better school district in a surrounding town, but I can't, that would be lying.
ReplyDelete9:03, sounds like another 'Not my fault. It's been happening for years.'
ReplyDeleteNO EXcUSE!
Norwalk is joining the bandwagon of criminalizing the poor. This happened a few months ago in Detroit.
ReplyDeletehttp://abcnews.go.com/US/ohio-mom-jailed-sending-kids-school-district/story?id=12763654
Shame on those for saying that this is 'sending a message' to the mother. To use the 'wasting tax dollars' excuse - we can also say that it is wasting the valuable resources of the police department to involve themselves in this issue.
Why not have bridgeport or other towns pay the per pupil allotment when this happens since they were their student to begin with. That would take the financial piece away from that poor mother.
ReplyDelete10:49: I don't think the poster who said it's sending a message meant that it was soley directed to "the mother". It is a message that needs to go to ALL parents, not just to this parent. It's time the admin for NPS gets their act together. Norwalk is the town where you can get away with anything illegal, immigrants, driving, parking, out of state plates, you name it. So no wonder it's so easy to hide here and send your kids to school here. I am all for sending the message, enough is enough.
ReplyDeleteI wonder where Susan Marks stands on this. She needs to take a public position on the issue. I want to know what kind of leader she is. Never mind her stand on the teacher of the year contest. Let's hear what she thinks about real issues in Norwalk schools.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the timing, waited long time for that didn't ya people? And you all know who you are.
ReplyDeleteSecond, it has been confirmed that there have been other investigation's, past and present that were and are lengthy and expensive.
They,(nity grity street p.i's) @300,+ an hour, plus expenses actually hire college kids to dig in the trash, look in your mail, tap your phones which are federal offense's, knock on neighbors doors,pull your credit and criminal, everything on you. Clear and outright Civil Rights violations as well as state and fedearl law.
Average costs per investigation; $130,000.
130 G's to catch a mother homeless trying to do the right thing.
This administration drops the hammer on the down and out and turns their backs on the real crooks in town.
Yes they have been on the hunt to nail someone "to make a statement".
Well they did.
Remember the cowboy?
Another message?
And they all drive home, (out of state) with big fat paychecks, playing "The world of full of suckers" on the multi speaker stereo in their luxury sedans, while checking with their broker at JP Morgan to see how much did their wealth increase the last hour, Tax Free.
Shame shame shame. Triple dog shame.
Something, allot is really really wrong.
Education is a right, not a privilege.
Its a Right worth the battle, the costs too high and unacceptable to lose another generation.
There is no such thing, as a democracy, with an uninformed electorate that is easily manipulated by propaganda.
Its a moral duty to pass the knowledge on and move us all forward.
But alas, major conspiracy's and players are a foot.
Big pie and everyone wants a piece.
No pie for the children.
No pie for the ones that live too long.
And certainly absolutely cant let the poor get even a sliver.
Allowing the poor and illiterate access to education, food, housing, employment?
That would be a national security threat.
What the hell is wrong with you people?
Are we all really that easily manipulated?
Are we all that ignorant?
Quick!! Lock up all the poor people before they revolt!!!
WAKE UP PEOPLE, WAKE UP!!
Now the kid's mother is in jail, the kids caretaker has been evicted,
lost her housing and is now homeless also along with mother and child and her children and the student in question has been traumatized.
Finally got that message out there didn't you?
Mission accomplished.
This is an excellent example of your Government working AGAINST you and in favor of special interests.
Somebody mention social services and DCF.
Clueless and sleepwalking or is it illiteracy?
Yes, yes it all does come down to education and awakening minds.
Now we have two more families homeless with no access to a kitchen,
someplace to sleep and take shelter and a kid without a teacher.
Brilliant.
and what is the bill on this case alone?
and now we are paying how much a day to incarcerate the mother trying to do right by her child?
Brilliant.
Smucks, nasty smucks.
For the children's sake,
WAKE UP AND PAY ATTENTION.
Definitely a story for the national newshounds out here.
Why do they not bite such a juicy story?
Ask yourself?
While your at it ask yourself is the quality of education in Norwalk that good that parents are willing to lose everything including thier childern to send them to this top shelf edcucation district.
The same district that is on the feds and states watch list?
Marks better steer clear if she wants to try and stick around and help us get it right.
This case will have repercussions, there is a price to pay politically, no doubt, no doubt.
Pick on a little woman and a defenseless kid.
That leaves a very bad taste.
Remember,it was you that open this pandora pal.
what are you ramblong about? housing authority has rules, follow them or leave! there are rules and laws for a reason. Maybe homeless people should stay in vacant houses without fear of getting in trouble! Norwalk is a town that has lost control, schools are a mess, crime is up! It is time to get it together. Try coming from Bridgeport and enrolling in Wilton, New Canaan or Darien! Why should Norwalk allow it? I can't send my kids out of town for school. You want to come to school in Norwalk, follow the rules and do it legally.
ReplyDelete8:48 has stated some valid points, although in a threatening way, which I don't condone. The issue here is about the treatment of this family and the 5 year old child. Sure, the mother did wrong, but so have others who have not been punished this way. Yes, the bill for the private investigator is staggering. Can the school system afford to pay that to investigate every suspicious family? I think not. I feel sorry for the innocent child, who is the one who suffers for all of this. What a tragedy!
ReplyDeleteYes, speak out, Susan Marks. What do you have to say about this? These are the times when you need to show what kind of a leader you are.
8:48 was rambling incoherently - who can follow this logic? There are many incorrect points in the post, most glaring is the claim that an investigation costs $130,000 per child. That is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteIt may be unfortunate that this parent was chosen as '...an example...' There is probably a lot more to the story and the facts will eventually come out. There are probably hundreds of children who reside in Bridgeport, New Haven, Stratford, or even New York communities in our schools. It is more convenient for parents: no a.m. day care, drop the child off at a bus stop at 8:00, get a friend or relative to lie for you, and have the child in Norwalk schools.
The district should investigate these cases and then dis enroll students. It is not the child's fault, to be sure, but we can't just open the doors to anyone who wants to come here.
Norwalk taxpayers support Norwalk schools for Norwalk students - PERIOD. The level of documentation should be high, and the penalties for theft of services should be enforced. Students from other towns take valuable resources, time, and energy away from our kids.
6:47, I think you need to do some homework on what the cost is to investigate a suspicious out of district student. What part of the budget would you like to eliminate so that the 'authorities' can rid the system of these children who rob our system? BTW, are you aware that there are people who live in Norwalk who don't pay taxes? What should we do about that? Are they entitled to a free education?
ReplyDeleteI do agree that out-of-district parents should not take advantage of Norwalk. I just don't know about the cost to the taxpayer.
When the topic of non-Norwalk students attending our schools illegaly has been discussed at the BOE's Finance Committee, I never recall any reference to a cost of "$130,000" per investigation. In fact, having hired many independent investigators in my private work, I have never known of rates of nearly $300/hour as alleged by an earlier poster.
ReplyDeleteCertainly, there would be a cost if the Outreach Workers within the Human Relations could not gather sufficient evidence to remove an alleged non-resident student. And that cost would need to be balanced against the cost of continuing to educate that student.
With luck, the data that was promised in the recent article in The Hour will shed some light on the possible extent of our school resources being expended for non-resident students. Then, and only then, will there be the information needed to determine how the Norwalk school department should proceed.
People more often then not feel they are entitled to do what they feel is right for their children. What is right is what is legal. There are many students going to Norwalk public schools at the cost to our tax payers. I am glad this is now in the public eye. People in Bridgeport pay taxes also. Why are they not sending their children to their schools? They should start the movement to better their school system instead of turnng their backs on their home schools. Norwalk has its fair share of problems. I wish more was done to clear out those who do not belong in our system.
ReplyDeleteThe message? Very poor taste, indeed. How low, can they go, you ask? Lower than you can imagine. What ever happened to Moccia's pow wow anyway? No one showed for "the big meet" in fact many snickered. So, humiliated, frustrated just retaliate by attackimg the helpless, the advocateless impoversihed minority woman and child? Government for the people, by the people? er, Define people. That's a grey area that we still haven't really addressed, have we?
ReplyDeletePeople? Who are the people?
Yes the message is clear, the homeless, the trapped penuary stricken fracturing familes, the blacks, the browns, the reds and their children are not people. No address, no powerful lobby, no vote. Tough luck. Stigmatizing, traumatizing and isolating the non existent is fair game.
Really? Is that the acorn we really want to plant and watch grow? We cant stop or wont stop the slaughtering spilling over into Texas, Arizona, California, no less influence areas abroad that we pay dearly, daily with blood and treasue or even halt our own blantant rampant corruption on home soil but we damn sure have a bead on homeless kids in the projects with books in their hands. "Cant let those kids get educated, at all costs."
WTF is the matter with us? Really, what is up? Have we completely lost our minds along with our souls? Definitely lost our way.
Can we not chart a course forward, without craziness, with humanity, compassion, wisdom, foresight and forethought, fully cognisant of the values of what, we the people, is and are all about? Well is supposed to be about? Why cant adults, give a kid a chance, regardless of his/her race or born sociostatus? Isn't that what America, the whole deal, is all about?
Dearest little child, wherever you are, when you grow up, if you survive that long, please forgive them, they know not, what they do.
There must be more to this story about the mother who was arrested. The Daily Norwalk's report does not show an innocent victim, rather, one with a real criminal history.
ReplyDeleteLet's not hyperfocus on this case. The families using bogus addresses, falsifying residency affidavits and educating students from other districts and Norwalk taxpayers' expense need to be held accountable. These children need to be unenrolled in our schools. I agree with Mr. Colarossi that it cannot cost $300 per hour (or an absurd $130K per child) for investigations.
In our critical budget situation with the anticipation of increased class sizes, several children per school can make a difference.
We need to actively pursue residency investigations.
The other problem is that people living in housing projects are not supposed to be babysitting, or doing anything to earn money from their housing (subletting, etc.) This is why this whole issue came to life - the focus was not on an out of district family. As 5:39 noted there were several crimes in this one incident.
ReplyDeleteYeah, let's take someone who abused the system, who is a common criminal, and make her the poster child for injustice. She knowingly cheated taxpayers. Shame on the people who started the petition. Enough of liberal causes run amok!
ReplyDeleteThe petition is as crazy as the DPW worker who thinks we should just forgive and forget the drunk driver who flipped his car in front of Marvin School during school hours, because no one got hurt. PLEASE! This lady is a criminal, MULTIPLE times over. Boot her. I agree, if we tried to sneak our kids into better schools, how would we be treated? It would be ugly!
ReplyDeleteRegarding the mother who was arrested, it is fairly obvious that someone is using her as an example. This has been a long time coming since she is just one among the many non-residents we have educated in our school system over the years.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is clear:
We've been educating Bridgeport students, on Norwalk taxpayers' dollar, for numerous years. This problem existed in the Sloan and Briggs days, probably earlier than that. Ask any veteran teacher who has been around for decades. They will tell you this is a conversation held many times during each school year in the halls: "Why is that kid still here? They know he's from Bridgeport."
This has been the problem- "they" know. "They" would be the housemasters, principals and vice-principals who get approached by custodians, aides, teachers, secretaries, security guards, students, and parents. They see the kids coming off the train, or off the highway and into our schools. There are school employees who live in Bridgeport who have reported seeing students who live in their own City, yet nothing is done.
Most in the NPS Central Office have been busy watching teachers. Meanwhile, certain students and their families have learned to work the system. Maybe it is a situation where the principal and/or district do not want to lose "numbers" - they need numbers in order to continue receiving certain funds, extra housemasters, second vice-principals, and extra guidance counselors, etc.
Is it possible that some schools, or the district, might want to retain as many minority students as possible so we can continue saying, when SAT and CAPT scores are released, "but we have so many minorities."
So, how to fix the problem? Take notice of students commuting to school by train. Pay attention to those students who are late to school often, or absent. Last, but not least, actually listen to teachers, secretaries, custodians, aides, counselors, and security guards! A novel thought, but one which could save us lots of money. School personnel always know what is going on.
Now, for the real question: How many students live in Bridgeport and attend our schools? Estimating what is said by Elementary, Middle, and H.S. teachers about this issue, it seems there are upwards of 200. Probably more.
If one is going to state 'facts' in their comments, please research them first. So many people here assume they know what they are talking about. They don't. Moina, there are many 'facts' stated here that are worth investigating, if you so choose. For example, the person who stated that money is obtained for grants based on the # of minorities attending the school....WRONG. Call the SDE and discover the truth behind funding....
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder if forums exist just to cause a frenzy among readers who accept these statements written by these 'authorities' as reality. Get the facts, the real facts and nothing but the facts, please.
No, 10:31, you are wrong. You say, "...they..." know and do nothing, that "they" want to keep other cities' kids in our school. You couldn't be more wrong, and it seems like you just want to do some mudslinging.
ReplyDeleteI'm an administrator, and we know. Our teachers, other parents, custodians, etc. report it,the kids themselves admit it, they are late at least half the time, we investigate it. All we can do is ask our outreach workers to make home visits, but when they are using a friend or family member's address, that person will often lie. We ask parents to provide additional documentation, and then send residency investigation requests down to central office. Along the way, we make enemies of parents because they take it very, very personally. It's been a long time since any investigations were made, and the out of town kids just keep coming to school.
So now the mudslinging is aimed at central office?
ReplyDeleteIf anyone from the BOE is reading, can you provide some concrete place where we can report, ANONYMOUSLY, (no, emails are not) children that NEED to be checked out? A place that actually will do something about it once they have this info?
ReplyDeleteMarks has to speak up on this. What happened and who took action? CT Post had an op/ed today saying Norwalk was wrong to do this. It says the Vento act allows homeless kids choice of district. It says the state pays us tuition for a homeless kid. All we have to do is fill out some forms. Read the op/ed by Gayle Brown. Why couldn't one of our high paid honchos find this out if an editorial writer did? Don't we pay them to know about these things? Who is minding the store up there?
ReplyDeleteSHE WAS FROM BRIDGEPORT! UGH! SHE BROKE LAWS!!! NOT SUCH A SAD HOMELESS STORY! TAKE THE KID FROM HER MOM, THEN AND ONLY THEN can we cry poor kid. GIVE IT A BREAK! HER MOM IS A CRIMINAL! And so are a bunch more. Solve the problems and stop talking about this one. Focus on the big picture, take this one out of the microscope.
ReplyDeleteI agree with 3:44. Why are we focusing on this situation? She has been arrested multiple times, including for assault and dealing narcotics, and never said she was homeless until the time of her arrest. McKinney-Vento ensures education for homeless children. That's not what was happening here.
ReplyDeleteThe big picture? Let's look hard at the rest of the Bridgeport, New Haven, and other families who are defrauding NPS. Investigate and track down those out of district families. Eliminate the bogus 'residency affidavits' that so many people use.
I do not understand why the school is making such a big deal of this. It is not like she is the only one that is doing it. I have known of several white parents that were not poor that did the same thing and what do you know, no jail or shame for them.
ReplyDeleteLet's hear if Marks was the one who made the decision to arrest her. I'd like to see how this fits with her liberal agenda. Speak up and own it if you did it.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll just enroll my kid in the New Canaan school system. Let's see how that goes.
ReplyDelete"Moccia said as budgets get tighter efforts to identify out-of-district students will intensify."
ReplyDeleteOf course, if this involved an illegal alien, he would be clamoring for free education.
Illegal aliens don't have to clamor. Undocumented children, AS LONG THEY LIVE HERE, are entitled to a free and appropriate public education.
ReplyDeleteSuch vehemence. Is it really needed? If the woman broke the law, perhaps justice will be served. If the state or city broke the law or arrested her under false pretenses, then perhaps justice will be served. The LAW will determine the technicalities and it seems both sides may have fabricated some, but many posts regarding this situation sound like they could easily be from those who stood around in slavery days watching Blacks get lynched for sport.
ReplyDeleteI don't condome this young lady's life style IF the reports of it are true, but if she can't get a job or was raised not to know better, who's to say she didn't do what she thought was best for her child. I suppose if she were some middle-class non-minority then she would have been forgiven or excuses would have been made and accepted. Right? Give me a break people.
What I hope for this woman and her Roodner Court friend is that as young women, they have learned valuable lessons and and take SERIOUSLY the help being offered to help them turn their lives around for their children's sake.
None of your vehemence matters. My opinion doesn't even matter. The law will decide. Think rehabilitation, reform, not lynch mob.
I, personally, am fed up with the way well-intending minorities are treated (so we know w/o help this McDowell woman would have no chance). There are way too many games played and all for purely selfish reasons. This goes well beyond this McDowell case. Reminds me of the comedian who said of the Bush-Gore election case, "JUST BECAUSE YOU GET THE MOST VOTES DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO WIN." DOES THIS HAPPEN LOCALLY AS WELL UNDER THE GUISE OF THE ART OF THE DEAL? I will save my protest for the ballot come November.