"NA indicates too few white kids for AYP rules"

Yesterday, we got something from Montgomery County Public Schools that said in a loud and authoritative voice: "IF ROSCOE NIX ELEMENTARY DOES NOT MEET AYP THIS YEAR, YOUR CHILD CAN GO TO ANOTHER SCHOOL." Hmm, a school that has field trips and plans for when teachers go on maternity leave and school programs and things like perhaps? That would be really nice, actually.

Surprisingly (not surprisingly), we are limited in our choice of different schools. I thought we would be able to send Dave and Caleb to Potomac Elementary or something (rich part of MoCo). Nope, we get our pick between Takoma Park and Fairland. So much for choice. Anyway, they also gave us the AYP scores of these two elementary schools along with the AYP scores of Roscoe Nix. So, schools are required by No Child Left Behind to report AYP not just for the entire school but also for racial/ethnic groups, special needs kids, and kids receiving free and reduced school lunch, unless there are too few kids at the school of that group to have a decent sample. Well, in looking at the AYP scores, lo and behold, there are no reported scores for white kids because, well, there aren't enough white kids at the school. Now, Dave is the only white kid in his class, but I guess that's the norm throughout the school.

Now, you might say, "That must be tough to not have kids of his race at the school." To which I say, No! Dave is actually providing diversity to the school! Kids in his class can't say they never went to school with a white kid! They will see the media stereotypes about white people being mean robber barons that will sell their own mother for the good of the company and think, "Hey, wait, there's a white kid in my class. He's decent enough. Maybe not all all white kids are greedy corporate executives." And it's those little moments that change the world.