A Mother's Love and a Felony Conviction

workmom blogs

Browse the topics @home and @work. Engage with leading bloggers who offer advice on family and career as well as share stories about our rich workmom experience. Share your comments.

engage!

Not a mom blogger?

blog directory

Professor Mom

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MomandProfessor

Sheryl Bone is a full time, online professor in the Department of Student Success at Kaplan University. An active member of professional organizations, she makes presentations on a variety of topics related to education. Sheryl serves as a regional leader for the College Reading and Learning Association. She is a full time mother to three children, ages 14, 12 and 10 and one little dog, as well as a full time wife to a busy, supportive husband. Always driving someone somewhere, she is sometimes frazzled, usually tired, but generally a very happy woman. Follow Sheryl Bone on twitter at http://twitter.com/MomandProfessor

A Mother's Love and a Felony Conviction

Posted on February 01, 2011

Kelly Williams-Bolar was released from jail last week after serving nine days on a felony conviction of tampering with records. Her crime? Wanting the best for her children. Williams-Bolar used her father’s address, in a desirable school district, neighboring her own, to allow her children to attend better schools. As a former inner city teacher, this story was especially meaningful to me. The neighborhood school I taught in was less than desirable. There were better, safer, more desirable schools in nearby neighborhoods.I suspect there were children who never attended where I taught, because their parents did the same thing Williams-Bolar did. They did what they thought was best for their children.

Some arguments point out racism, or school choice, or socio economic circumstances as the real issue of this story. To me, the real issue is crystal clear. A mother’s love. What mother do you know that wouldn’t do everything in her power to get what she believes to be best for her children ? For Williams-Bolar, that meant a felony conviction, two years probation and eighty hours of community service.

Monday’s Washington Post ran an article by Kevin Huffman entitled 'A Rosa Park moment for education' that concludes with the question, what would you do ?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/30/AR2011013003556.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline

I know what I would do. I would do what I thought was best for my children. Had I been faced with William-Bolar’s dilemma, I’m not certain what I would have done. But I can say, with certainty, that I would dig deep into my maternal heart, and do what I thought was best for my children. Exactly what Kelly Williams-Bolar did. Whether you agree with her actions or not, can you understand them? As a mother, I bet you can.

photo : Huffington Post, Feb 1, 2010