Education and what would you do

~Jennifer - posted on 01/28/2011

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_n...



AKRON, Ohio - Akron school officials released a statement Friday morning regarding the future employment of Kelley Williams-Bolar, the woman who spent 10 days in jail for tampering with records and sending her children to a school district where they didn’t live.



Williams-Bolar lived in Akron, but sent her children to Copley-Fairlawn City Schools. She is currently an education aide in Akron Public School, and her conviction brought up questions as to whether she would be able to continue her work in the district.



“Ms. Williams-Bolar has been employed fulltime in good standing with Akron Public Schools since 2008, and this conviction is not an absolute bar to employment,” Akron schools said in a release. “The decision to revoke or suspend her educational assistant certificate belongs to the Ohio Department of Education.”



She currently is an aide for special education classes and is near completion of a college degree.



“Although we understand that this is a difficult issue, Ms. Williams-Bolar served her time,” said Superintendent David W. James. “Barring any further action by the ODE or court system, she will be returning to work in the near future.”



Look below to see the entire statement from Akron schools.



On January 18, 2011, Akron Public Schools educational assistant Kelley Williams-Bolar was found guilty of two “tampering with records” felony charges brought on by a student enrollment investigation led by the Copley-Fairlawn City Schools.



As required by law, APS immediately reported Williams-Bolar’s conviction to the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Professional Conduct.



Ms. Williams-Bolar has been employed fulltime in good standing with Akron Public Schools since 2008, and this conviction is not an absolute bar to employment. The decision to revoke or suspend her educational assistant certificate belongs to the Ohio Department of Education.



“Although we understand that this is a difficult issue, Ms. Williams-Bolar served her time,” said Superintendent David W. James. “Barring any further action by the ODE or court system, she will be returning to work in the near future.”



Summit County prosecutor Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh released this statement:



While this case is truly an unfortunate situation, the fact remains that Kelly Williams-Bolar was prosecuted because she repeatedly and willfully broke the law, as a jury of her peers unanimously affirmed in court. Prior to prosecution, she had many options available that did not include breaking the law, including working with the Copley School District before the case reached a criminal felony level. There are many single mothers and families in similar situations who want the best for their children who are not breaking the law. In fact, dozens of other similar cases in recent years have been resolved at the parent level prior to prosecution because they either removed their children from the school district, paid tuition, or moved into the school district. Ms. Williams-Bolar was the only case that could not be resolved at the parent level because she would not acknowledge that she did anything wrong and she refused to cooperate in any way. As such, this office had no choice but to take action against Ms. Williams-Bolar, in accordance with the law and on behalf of residents that choose to follow the rules.



Please find attached our Motion to Dismiss on the two deadlocked Grand Theft counts that the jury had in State vs. Kelly Williams-Bolar and Edward Williams. Consistent with other cases we have tried, when a jury convicts on the higher charges, we dismiss the deadlocked charges.



The State intends to proceed with the charges against Edward Williams for Grand Theft, a felony of the fourth degree, and for Tampering with Records, a felony of the third degree. With respect to the Grand Theft, the indictment alleges that he did, with purpose to deprive the owner, State of Ohio/Department of Human Services and Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, of benefits totaling: $36,023.87.



With respect to the Tampering with Records, the indictment alleges that he knowingly falsified applications for medical and food assistance with the Department of Job and Family Services.



(It would appear as though her father also took advantage of the system by applying for food allowances and medical insurance through the documents falsified to the school.......so it's looking like they knew exactly what they were doing and tried to 'get over' as much as possible.....)

Becky - posted on 01/28/2011

Was it ever explained why she refused? Did she have the money to pay because if she had the money to pay and just refused to be difficult then yes she should have been sentenced but if she refused because she did not have the money than what? My purpose of the discussion was if we had more equal education and not "good" or "bad" parents would not have to resort to illegal means of getting their kids a good education.

Isobel - posted on 01/28/2011

http://www.circleofmoms.com/debating-mum...

~Jennifer - posted on 01/28/2011

There were other families investigated besides her. They either paid the back tuition and removed their children from the school, or paid the back tuition and the enrollment fees to keep the children in the school, or paid the back fees and moved into the district. She flatly refused to do any of the above mentioned.

Do I think she should be in jail?....maybe.

Do I think she's damn lucky she got 10 days instead of the full 5 years? (she rec'd a suspended sentence of 5 years, and was ordered to serve 10 days + 80 hours community service)

Yes...I think she got off pretty light, considering that they *could* have locked her up for 5 years.

~Jennifer - posted on 01/28/2011

for 2 years.

Becky - posted on 01/28/2011

Does anyone know how long this had gone on? Was this new or had she been defrauding for a length of time? I am getting different pieces from different sources. Thank you to all in the discussion. Jenn I am not saying what she did was right but do you think being in jail away from her kids was the right punishment. I understand she broke the law but there are many people breaking the law every day and never see the inside of a cell. I just think there could have been a better way to resolve it.

~Jennifer - posted on 01/28/2011

If she wanted them to receive an education in that particular district, she should have moved there or been prepared to pay for it.
She falsified legal documents, had her father do the same, and defrauded the school district.
She sent her kids to the school illegally.
What part of ILLEGAL makes it the 'right thing to do'?
If she wanted her kids in that district, she should have figured out a way to do it legally.
I understand the fact that she wanted better for her children....but then, it's her job as a mom to bust ass to provide 'better'....It's not the responsibility of the people that pay taxes in the other district to supply an education for her children.

Becky - posted on 01/28/2011

I think giving your kids away is an extreme statement, my daughter is adopted. I understand that you are upset but don't you think that no matter where you live that children should receive the best education possible? I don't condone what she did but she was trying to do right for her children. If schools were more balanced this would not be an issue. Your choice is to homeschool but in a single parent home that is not an option, money has to come in.

Deanna - posted on 01/28/2011

This has been done already but I will post this here as well.
IMO....Yes, I pay taxes and homeschool. I pay for other kids in our school district to get an education. She doesn't and didn't pay for the education her child was getting. She was paying another school district in her taxes. So instead of giving just the kids in our school district money we are forced to pay for the people who lie? How is that fair? Those that pay actually having to take a smaller cut so we can "help" someone who lies and steals from other children for her child? Not fair. On top of that all the other people that were caught paid the fines or proved that they really did live in the district. She doesn't live in the district, and refuses to pay the fines. If she would pay the fine then her child could continue in that district or she could choose to move them to the one she currently lives in. Reguardless she MUST pay the fine and in not doing so is committing a crime. I personally think we make to many cuts and allowances for people that want something for nothing. I scrimp and save all I can to homeschool and give my kids a wonderful education in addition to paying taxes. I think that those that DON'T live here SHOULD pay for our better school district or stay out.
I applaud the court system and the school district for making an example of someone that commits such an obvious crime. Just because you want better for your child doesn't mean you should commit crimes to give it to them. If you can't raise your kid/kids then give them to people who can.

Becky - posted on 01/28/2011

Kelly-
Great point. I also heard that there were other cases that had been resolved. I did not read anything about unpaid taxes but I also heard that the children's father lived in the school district. I think the bottom line is the public school system is broken and as parents if we don't fight for our kids than no one will.

Shauna - posted on 01/28/2011

well thats diff if she diddnt pay her taxes. THen. yeah the price you pay for the crime.

Kelly - posted on 01/28/2011

Your information is a little skewed, she did lie about her living location and cheat on tax forms, but she was given the opportunity to keep her kids at the school if she agreed to pay the back taxes and continue to pay the "out of district" tuition. Several families were investigated along with her, but she refused to pay the taxes and tuition, and thus was jailed. I think the punishment fits the crime, she made the decision to go to jail.

As for what I would do, I would have moved--If the school was too dangerous for her kids, then the community was too dangerous as well, after all, it is the kids at the school who make up a great deal of the community.

Shauna - posted on 01/28/2011

No thats so wrong. Where i live i think it was 3 yrs ago they passed this law called "one city one school district" something like that. I live in a big city, and there are ALOT of schools some of which are in bad neigborhoods. The law allows any children from any neigborhood to go to ANY school in town. THe idea behind it was this : North area of town is all blacks.... South area of town is all mexicans.. west area of town all rich whites. The rest is middle class scattered everywhere. They wanted to end the labeling of certain areas and bring diversity. It has helped alot!
ONe case that happen in our community is a school from another city came and played a football game in the "south side of town" the other town through green cards all over the football field.. basically meaning "you mexicans need to go back to mexico"
I think kids need to expeirence different races and differant walks of life and learn to get along!!!
I know this is a litle off subject but our school systems need alot of work!

------and no the mother should not of been punished. IMO
my hope is that in the future no neighborhood be labled the "bad part of town" ... but that is unlikely to happen

Desiree - posted on 01/28/2011

Becky the answer is no, but as I said in another post on the same subject, I live in Africa and I pay a fortune with the help of my father to send my kids to a private school. And Here what gets you into the schools in your area is not just you living there but you can also apply in the area you work. But then again you also have to remember the average number of children in class room in a Government school is anywhere from 30 to 40 kids.Teachers are not able to cope nor are they properly trained and they definatly don't have time to pay attention to one child that is struggling. And then again they are always on strike anyway or on leave but never in class. And this nonsense of no disipline in the schools is also nonsense especially if you are teaching 30 to 40 kids and get no help from the parents.