Where does a white woman/teacher fit in to all of this?

Monday I was off from work because of a doctor's appointment for my dad.

Tuesday at lunch Darrell, my most current "challenge" in teaching kindergartners, is sitting beside me (or at least I am by him - intentional presence to encourage appropriate behavior at lunch). All of my class is quite intrigued by the fact that I have children who are NOT children (grown-ups older than some of their parents) and the fact that "my man" and I are actually MARRIED and have the same name!
So the conversation begins:
Darrell: Ms. Herrington, what's yo' husband's name?
Me: Mr. Herrington
D: Is he nice?
Me: Very!
After a few seconds pause, D: Next time you don't come to school, could he come be our substitute teacher?
Me: I don't know...I will ask him and see about it!

2 things come to mind:
#1 - Some of the kids told me yesterday's sub was MEAN! Translation: She made them obey, do their work and not mess around!
#2 - Darrell moved here from Austin around November. From what I have gathered from his conversations, his dad is in jail/prison - not sure which or why. When we were learning the letter U, we began discussing "uniforms." The students started listing different people who wear uniforms. Darrell's contribution was: people in prison wear uniforms. Adding that to some other conversations we had already had about his dad, I figured he knew that from having visited a prison (or jail). He is a bright little boy, but I think he is in desperate need to have a loving dad in his life. A god-father, according to his mom, often is one man in an authority role in his life, who envokes "displine" on him. Darrell lives with his mom and 2 high school-aged sisters!

How many other "Darrells" are in my class? I never know if the "daddy" who is in their life at the present time is REALLY the dad or just the current boyfriend.

Makes me sad. I think this is something I need to look in to.