Would lie about where you live...

[Anonymous]

While I live in a desirable school district and have the means to move if it became necessary, it is really easy for me to say that I would never lie. However, I have not walked in that woman's shoes and it is clear she was trying to get the best education possible for her children. I am not sure I can fault that ESPECIALLY since their father lived in the right neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While I live in a desirable school district and have the means to move if it became necessary, it is really easy for me to say that I would never lie. However, I have not walked in that woman's shoes and it is clear she was trying to get the best education possible for her children. I am not sure I can fault that ESPECIALLY since their father lived in the right neighborhood.

I agree. I feel for the woman. This, however, is totally different than the HHI ppl in this area lying to get into what they perceive to be a slightly better school. It is such a big problem in our local school district which is flush with $ and it has increased the class ratios and drained the school's resources. These are the ppl that should be charged with an offense not the OH woman with no resources desparate to do anything to help her kids get a leg up and out of a totally dismal situation.

Our country really needs to fix the public school system. We are failing too many kids.

[Anonymous]

OMG -- They lived with the grandfather part time..she says she gave her father power of attorney for the girls.....(read this in another article -- not the one cited here) geez it's easy to say what one would do when they have not been burglarized...and living in impoverished conditions...plus going to school trying to further her education and provide for her kids' futures...everything is not so black and white....

[Anonymous]

Outrageous! Please, people: think! It's not like we have de jure racial segregation anymore. De facto racial segregation is all we have.

America's entire system of racial and economic segregation would cease to exist if everyone did this!

[Anonymous]

I would do it in a heartbeat!

[Anonymous]

I think she is an example of a mother who did what she thought was best. Especially reading that he ex lived there. What crap. It does not matter if you approve. The punishment far outweighs the crime here in my opinion. I used to work in the DC courts and saw many people who committed serious acts of domestic violence and drug crimes get far less punishment than this woman did. Some of them even get a chance to expunge their record. She should have gotten probation at the most and convicting her of a felony that affects her livelihood and her right to vote is ridiculous. I mean be real we don't even have room in our prisons for the real criminals committing violent acts and you all are talking about locking people up. Sometimes I think people come on here purely to talk smack. You might not agree with her choices, but she did it from a place of love and concern for her children and I think some of you would at least be able to recognize that.

[Anonymous]

My parents did this when we were little. We lived in apartments on Edsell Rd in Alexandria and used a family friend's address in the MacArthur school district in Alexandria. Once we were headed to middle school, my parents scraped together enough money to rent in McLean, so we could go there-they determined that McLean was the best school in the region.

I don't fault my parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find that the prosecutors treated this woman horribly. Her ex husband, the children's father, lived in the zoned school zone. He paid his taxes. Why could the children not use their father's address. The former school chancellor for DCPS used her ex-husband's address to enroll her children into one of the city's better schools. I just think this was overkill by the prosecutor. A felony record, ten days in jail, two years of probation and community service hours. Damn, that's what a person who pushed an old lady down and took her purse would receive.

Did her kids live with her ex-husband? If not they go the school assisged to their home address. She knew the rules and chose to ignore them.

You are a cold hearted bitch. They shared joint custody. The father pays income tax and property tax. But I guess it is okay to treat a parent who is trying to obtain a decent education for her child like a rapist. By the way, she received a harsher sentence than people who stole millions of dollars in the savings and loan scam.

[Anonymous]

AdequateParent wrote:I have also busted my a$$ to live in a neighborhood with an excellent school.

My child didn't.

None of our children did one damned thing to deserve a better education than the kid one zip code over.

When the adults are fighting, you can be sure that we're not talking about the children anymore.

Yes. Excellent point.

[Anonymous]

why bother lying when we know that not all kids that go to these *great* schools are going to be a rocket scientist.

And why are parents living in these great schools neighborhood pay money to the school? I thought public means free education, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see plenty of cars with Maryland license plates dropping off children at my neighborhood elementary school in Alexandria. I have been told that they are divorced moms and dads who live in Maryland but that their children's primary homes are in that school district in Alexandria.

Then you should report them because VA law is that you have to switch to VA tags and state driver's license within 30 days.

I think that the point was that the kids have one parent who is a VA resident and one who is a MD resident. No need for a MD resident to have VA tags.

[Anonymous]

I think more people feel they broke the law and should be reported and followed, thankfully. If you have worked for what you have, and don't feel the world owes you, you know what I mean. Adequate parent, I don't always agree with you, but on this I agree.

I don't work and pay property taxes so whomever wants to go to my school can just go. You live where you can afford. That is life.

[Anonymous]

Last week I heard one of my neighbors, with no kids, whining about why should he have to pay taxes as much as individuals with kids do. His argument was that his tax money was also going to fund the education. And while, being childless, he was not getting any benefit from the schools, why should he be forced to fund them? He also seemed to have issues with the idea of childcare deduction and child tax credit. He said that parents should be taxed more for the public resources that their kids use, rather than being rewarded unfairly.

Another parents, with no special needs kids, went a bit extreme and asked why should their tax money be funding the Special Ed. programs at many schools (including the star schools) in the area, when they themselves have no special needs kid. They also saw their busted a$$ earned money going to improve the life of somebody elses' child very unfair.

[Anonymous]

You people who work SOOO HARD to live in the neighborhoods you live in are missing the big picture here.

A well educated child is better for our entire society. An involved parent who wants better for her child and who will do anything so her child can get a good education is better for our entire society. This is what we WANT. How can you be "so successful" and so stupid when it comes to what is best for society and everyone as a whole?

Oh yea, and you "hard workers" who work "so hard" to live in your excellent school district, you are a product of luck and involved parents. My housekeeper and nanny work much harder than me and will never be able to make the income I make. Hey, and guess what? I let my nanny use my address so her brown kid can go to my excellent local public school. She is from over the border in Prince William county all muddying up my Faifrax school. All I hope for is that her kid gets a head start so he can have a better life than her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You people who work SOOO HARD to live in the neighborhoods you live in are missing the big picture here.

A well educated child is better for our entire society. An involved parent who wants better for her child and who will do anything so her child can get a good education is better for our entire society. This is what we WANT. How can you be "so successful" and so stupid when it comes to what is best for society and everyone as a whole?

Oh yea, and you "hard workers" who work "so hard" to live in your excellent school district, you are a product of luck and involved parents. My housekeeper and nanny work much harder than me and will never be able to make the income I make. Hey, and guess what? I let my nanny use my address so her brown kid can go to my excellent local public school. She is from over the border in Prince William county all muddying up my Faifrax school. All I hope for is that her kid gets a head start so he can have a better life than her.

While I understand your concern and passion, here's a question for you. Would you have a problem with every family in your district doing what you're doing? Let's say . . . every family letting their nieces, nephews, grandchildren, plus housekeeper's and nanny's children attend your neighborhood school?