They had to eat in so many shifts it took three hours each day to feed everybody. And four out of five had their lunch paid for by the federal government. Two out of three come from such places as Venezuela and Cuba and speak Spanish at home. Still others speak Creole French, because they're from Haiti. The school has enough Vietnamese children to need the help of a Vietnamese teaching aide.
Some kids are in foster care.
Some come from homes where parents work two and three jobs just to get by. Elaine Diaz vows to try to get a better grade next time, but she rises like a prizefighter to defend her school, its kids and their parents. They were not multiple choice. The kids were usually asked to explain reasons for their answers or demonstrate how they reached an answer. Another asked them to explain all the possible ways three kids could place in a race.