SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT

The tie that binds

Most of the time when you want a service for your child (or yourself), you can shop around for the one that is best for your family. This is obviously true for private sector services, like restaurants or insurance or daycare, but also mostly true even for public sector services - like medical services or universities or libraries. I think you can guess where this is going.

When it comes to the portion of your child’s education that falls between nursery school and university, most people have to accept the school assigned by their school board - even when that school is horrible. If you’re affluent, you can get around the problem, by moving to another house or sending your kid to private school. Poor people, on the other hand, are stuck for the most part. And even when, as in this case, one such parent tries to get around the problem by lying about her place of residence, the state has the ability to send her to jail for her pains.

Most people would sympathize with - even applaud - a parent’s determination to do right by her child. But in Connecticut, apparently administrative (in)convenience is more important.