The Washington Post Magazine presents a must-read profile of a single mother from D.C. who has made immense sacrifices to get her two children the best education possible. Sheila Hutton is dogged beyond belief in her quest: "Every morning Hutton would call [her daughter's principal] to ensure her daughter was accounted for. She'd call later in the day to make sure Michelle was still there or to confirm assignments. Some days, she'd leave work early to get to the building around dismissal. Michelle, rather than hanging out with friends, had to ride the bus or train home with her." Hutton is a strict disciplinarian, but also struggles to sign her children up for free programs in dance, sports, and educational travel; she hand-delivered her son's application to a D.C. charter school and then fought for him to attend a New England prep school, even though he had to repeat eleventh grade; and though it broke her heart, she sent her daughter to live with her father in New Hampshire to attend a rural high school there. In time, her health was nearly ruined by stress but she succeeded: both children are attending college this fall. Sheila Hutton's story is heartening and a little infuriating. Getting a good education for one's children in the nation's capital shouldn't be this difficult. And hanging over this story like a fog, of course, is the new D.C. voucher program. Would Hutton have taken advantage of it if it had been available while her children were in school? Of course—and vouchers may have made this courageous woman's life just a bit easier.
"Tough love," by Susan Levine, Washington Post Magazine, November 7, 2004