Many parents of students at Lee’s Summit North High School in Missouri are angry after discovering that their children were victims of racism. The principal of the school, David Ulrich, allegedly sent letters to parents regarding low standardized test scores, which according to the school’s data, “consistently reveal a significant gap between the overall achievement of the school and our African-American students.” The parents who did receive the letter were asked to attend a meeting regarding the low test scores. Ironically, the letters were only sent to parents of African-American students, regardless of their test scores. However, parents of non-Black students who did receive low scores did not receive any notification about the matter.
The District Diversity Consultant and the school’s counselor, who are both Black, agreed with Ulrich’s decision to notify the parents and invited them to a general meeting to discuss their children’s performance. They went on to say that Ulrich’s direct approach is a great start for change. About 60 parents attended the meeting and Ulrich has scheduled another on October 14, hoping to double the attendance.