"In case you needed further proof of the American education system's failings, especially in poor and minority communities, consider the latest crime to spread across the country: Educational theft," says Michael Flaherty in The Wall Street Journal. Flaherty, who produced the polarizing education documentary Waiting for 'Superman,' laments that parents who try to sneak their kids into better school districts are facing criminal punishment. For instance, earlier this year, Ohio single mom Kelley Williams-Bolar was convicted on two felony counts for using her father's address to get her kids into a better district. She's not alone. In recent months, parents in Kentucky, Connecticut, and Missouri have all been arrested for similar "crimes." Here, an excerpt:
From California to Massachusetts, districts are hiring special investigators to follow children from school to their homes to determine their true residences and decide if they "belong" at high-achieving public schools. School districts in Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey all boasted recently about new address-verification programs designed to pull up their drawbridges and keep "illegal students" from entering their gates.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 22, 2025Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - Earth Day, pollen season, and more
-
Wine-tasting in TuscanyThe Week Recommends From biodynamic vineyards to historic cellars, the picturesque region is a wine lover's dream
-
Ukraine-Russia: is peace deal possible after Easter truce?Today's Big Question 'Decisive week' will tell if Putin's surprise move was cynical PR stunt or genuine step towards ending war
