Connecticut Mom Tanya McDowell, Accused of Stealing Son's Education, Arrested ...

Tanya McDowell , the Connecticut woman charged with stealing her son's education after sending him to a school allegedly outside of her district, was arraigned on drug charges today.

McDowell, 33, is being held on $200,000 bond. She was arrested Friday after she allegedly sold crack cocaine and marijuana to undercover officers.

McDowell's arrest came three days after she participated in an education reform rally with Rev. Al Sharpton that was organized by the NAACP. In April, McDowell was charged with first degree grand larceny and conspiracy for allegedly stealing $15,686 in educational services from Norwalk Public Schools because she sent her 6-year-old son to Brookside Elementary School, a school allegedly outside of her district.

Sharpton told ABC News that his appearance at the rally was not in response to McDowell's case and that he is not familiar with the intricacies of her case.

"My position is this young man, the son, should be treated like any other kid if their parent didn't live in the district," Sharpton said. "We don't play politics with the boy. If this mother is unfit to be a mother, it doesn't solve what happens to the boy."

McDowell claims that she registered her son in Brookside despite not being a resident there because she was homeless at the time and floating between a shelter, a friend's apartment in Norwalk and a home in Bridgeport when she registered her son for school.

Under federal law, children can continue to attend classes in a school district where they began their education if the family was homeless.

Her story became fuel for education activists, sparking reform rallies and garnering national attention. The Connecticut chapter of the NAACP, which flocked to McDowell's support in April, would not comment on the drug charges.

"The criminalization of parents trying to enroll their child in a better quality school simply to give their child a chance for a better life is wrong and should be resolved through civil not criminal means," said Scot Esdaile, president of the NAACP Connecticut chapter. "We have no comment on the drug charge against Ms. McDowell which will be adjudicated in a court of law as it should be."

Connecticut education activist Gwen Samuel said McDowell's arrest "muddies the waters" of her efforts.

"We hope for the best for her. We're hoping that everything works out with her son and we still support him," said Samuel, founder of the Connecticut Parents Union.

Al Sharpton Jumps Into Fracas Over Homeless Mom Arrest - Rick ...

This fire is about to get hotter.

The Connecticut NAACP says that Rev. Al Sharpton will be the featured speaker this week at a rally for the Bridgeport mother arrested for trying to send her son to school in Norwalk.

The "Equal Education for All" rally will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Brookside Elementary School in Norwalk.

Some legislators, including Republican Larry Cafero, are discussing making changes in the law used to arrest Tanya McDowell.

Regional Parental Vouchers that can be used for public, private and parochial schools.

Democrats prefer a non-voucher system that will increase the micro-management of resources by paid union administrators and through the court or they simply prefer to ignore Scheff and other regionalization orders.

Give parents their rights back to send kids to schools of their choice including those that use non-Union and non-Certified teachers. The monopolistic lock-up on education delivery by the teachers union is destructive.

The Supreme Court recognizes the legality of vouchers for private and parochial schools and notes the coercive effect the present tax polices have on parental school choice and on private and parochial school choice.

Vouchers resets the playing field and restores choice.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/04/us/04religion.html?

Jet

Busted, Mugshots and Arrest Records of the Famous and Infamous

Al on America

Jet

Al Sharpton, Community Activist