Shame SHAME on Ackerman!

[seand]

Very simple.
1) announce a zero tolerance policy for targeted violence against asian students, or any race for that matter on school district property
2) find out which security guards were alleged to have colluded with the attackers and if true fire each one.
3) admit the possibility of negligence in allowing this situation to fester and hold the individuals responsible to account.

#2 might be a complicated labor agreement but #1 and #3 are no brainers.
At every instance Ackerman has sought to characterize this some sort of external problem her administrative staff was not ultimately responsible for. Its been one story after the other - always to distance it from the basic fact that school administrators are fundamentally responsibile for the safety of kids in the school and that, duh, obviously they failed at that responsibility.

There has been no "this is wrong and the buck stops with me" moment - which is really reasonable thing for Asian students and parents to ask for in the circumstances.

[seand]

Its official.

Asian students file a discrimination case against the Philadelphia School District. There is no way this goes well for Ackerman.
S. Phila. High fallout: Asian group files federal rights complain | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/19/2010

How hard is it to admit your administration failed and say you will take whatever step necessary to make sure no student in Philly publisc schools feels threatened because of their race or ethnic background?

If the courts even look at this, Ackerman might as well pack her bags.

[seand]

Well we've tried a state takeover. If this goes really badly maybe we can have the Federal courts directly imposing new rules on how the schools are run. Upping the ante, as it were.

What kind of leader is so invested in defensively passing the blame that they in essence bully the students into this by not listening, not accepting responsibility?

[Distinguished]

Beautiful. At some point, the citizens will wake from this nightmare. Hopefully.

[seand]

Its noteworthy that they didn't rush into this, which would indicate they've lined up their case and met with legal counsel that believes the case has merit and a chance of succeeding.

[seand]

Also of note, Ackerman just finished contract negotiations with teachers so there is some indication this suit was on the shelf ready to go as soon as that was over, so as not effect those negotiations. I would be inclined to take it seriously.

[jokerswild]

Interesting article on Ackerman in Philly Mag.
Arlene Ackerman Profile: Queen Arlene - Philadelphia Magazine - phillymag.com

[seand]

I don't think even Tony Hardy Williams wants to stand by her side if she loses a civil rights discrimination law suit. Bad, bad press. Bad for funding in Harisburg. I think the lawsuit if it gets any traction at all means they all start looking for her replacement ASAP.

[phillycat]

"She" is not the District. To win a civil lawsuit against the district, they would have to demonstrate a deliberate pattern that went on for a significant period of time, with full awareness of the administration, which would no doubt encompass several superintendents, since the city has done such a great job of holding on to them. I'm not sure how (or why) you would lay this whole thing at the feet of one individual.

I'm not so sure a lawsuit has to have ironclad merit to be filed. Often they are filed by advocacy groups trying to draw attention to an issue (or to justify their existence). Hasn't the School Reform Commission been running the district for years? Do they have no responsibility for this series of events? Should they also be fired?

It's not like big city school administrators grown on trees, and good luck find one that isn't mired in some controversy. She could have handled it better, but this will pass. Rendell practically begged the woman on bended knee to take over the PSD, I wouldn't count on her going away anytime soon, unless she chooses to.

[Bulworth67]

"She" is not the District. To win a civil lawsuit against the district, they would have to demonstrate a deliberate pattern that went on for a significant period of time, with full awareness of the administration, which would no doubt encompass several superintendents, since the city has done such a great job of holding on to them. I'm not sure how (or why) you would lay this whole thing at the feet of one individual.

I'm not so sure a lawsuit has to have ironclad merit to be filed. Often they are filed by advocacy groups trying to draw attention to an issue (or to justify their existence). Hasn't the School Reform Commission been running the district for years? Do they have no responsibility for this series of events? Should they also be fired?

It's not like big city school administrators grown on trees, and good luck find one that isn't mired in some controversy. She could have handled it better, but this will pass. Rendell practically begged the woman on bended knee to take over the PSD, I wouldn't count on her going away anytime soon, unless she chooses to.

True the lawsuit does not have to have merit to be filed.

However, this one does. Ackerman's and the district's problem is that the security guards are alleged to have colluded with the attackers. The security guards are state agents/actors. If these facts are proven, that's a Title 7 and 9 violation. Very very bad for the district.

This is a signficant lawsuit.

I agree she's not going away soon.

[jokerswild]

"She" is not the District. To win a civil lawsuit against the district, they would have to demonstrate a deliberate pattern that went on for a significant period of time, with full awareness of the administration, which would no doubt encompass several superintendents, since the city has done such a great job of holding on to them. I'm not sure how (or why) you would lay this whole thing at the feet of one individual.

I'm not so sure a lawsuit has to have ironclad merit to be filed. Often they are filed by advocacy groups trying to draw attention to an issue (or to justify their existence). Hasn't the School Reform Commission been running the district for years? Do they have no responsibility for this series of events? Should they also be fired?

It's not like big city school administrators grown on trees, and good luck find one that isn't mired in some controversy. She could have handled it better, but this will pass. Rendell practically begged the woman on bended knee to take over the PSD, I wouldn't count on her going away anytime soon, unless she chooses to.

I ran a program at S. Philly back in the late 90s and this issue was taking place back then

[BobGS]

It makes me a little more hopeful that, with the fires set and the flames of justice starting to flicker, things may begin to turn around regarding public education in this City.
Maybe there will be accountability, for everyone, and in a real way, so that students and administrators are forced under law, to respect the rights of equal protection and go about the business of education and learning.
Maybe, also, this City will take real inventory of its other needs, and those most qualified for the job will obtain their earned positions in all other aspects of civil service.
Maybe this will be the beginning of something much, much greater for the City of Philadelphia.
Maybe.

[Distinguished]

It makes me a little more hopeful that, with the fires set and the flames of justice starting to flicker, things may begin to turn around regarding public education in this City.
Maybe there will be accountability, for everyone, and in a real way, so that students and administrators are forced under law, to respect the rights of equal protection and go about the business of education and learning.
Maybe, also, this City will take real inventory of its other needs, and those most qualified for the job will obtain their earned positions in all other aspects of civil service.
Maybe this will be the beginning of something much, much greater for the City of Philadelphia.
Maybe.

We've said this all too often, though. I would very much love to "love" Phila again, but I don't see it happening. There's just too many problems with the education system, one-party political system, crime, race relations, and so on. As much as we try to play it off and just live life, it's really bad and so many places simply provide better living environments.

[Bulworth67]

The Asian students did not file a lawsuit but what could be the precourser for one: a DOJ civil rights complaint.
The DOJ will look into it and act, and if the Asian students are not satisfied they could file a complaint if federal court.

Take a look at the allegations against the principal. In answer to PCat-Ackerman could have fired her as step one.

Rights complaint filed in South Phila. High case | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/20/2010

[phillycat]

True the lawsuit does not have to have merit to be filed.

However, this one does. Ackerman's and the district's problem is that the security guards are alleged to have colluded with the attackers. The security guards are state agents/actors. If these facts are proven, that's a Title 7 and 9 violation. Very very bad for the district.

This is a signficant lawsuit.

I agree she's not going away soon.

I'm not commenting on the merits, only stating that it doesn't have to have merit to be filed.

I can't imagine it is going to be easy to prove the guards "colluded" with teenagers picking fights, unless it's on video. Not that I don't think it's very possible that they turned a blind eye.

I also don't think it's so easy to just fire a principal, just like it's not easy to fire a teacher. That principal started, I believe, in June of last year. Correct me if I'm wrong. That means that by the time the publicized incident occurred, she had been overseeing this particular group of students for all of three months. As JW notes, these types of problems have been going on for decades. The school had had five principals in five years. It's very possible that this woman might be a crappy principal. Do you think there are millions of really awesome principals lined up to manage failing, violent, inner city schools in our incredibly litigious era? I can't see that an immediate firing the principal would have done much to help stabilize the students' educational experiences at SPH.

If you read the complaint, what they "have on her" seems pretty petty. She used the word "dynasty" when talking about the Chinese program? Come on.

[Bulworth67]

I'm not commenting on the merits, only stating that it doesn't have to have merit to be filed.

I can't imagine it is going to be easy to prove the guards "colluded" with teenagers picking fights, unless it's on video. Not that I don't think it's very possible that they turned a blind eye.

I also don't think it's so easy to just fire a principal, just like it's not easy to fire a teacher. That principal started, I believe, in June of last year. Correct me if I'm wrong. That means that by the time the publicized incident occurred, she had been overseeing this particular group of students for all of three months. As JW notes, these types of problems have been going on for decades. The school had had five principals in five years. It's very possible that this woman might be a crappy principal. Do you think there are millions of really awesome principals lined up to manage failing, violent, inner city schools in our incredibly litigious era? I can't see that an immediate firing the principal would have done much to help stabilize the students' educational experiences at SPH.

If you read the complaint, what they "have on her" seems pretty petty. She used the word "dynasty" when talking about the Chinese program? Come on.

PCat-testimony IS evidence. If a fact finder believes the witnesses, it is accepted.
Difficult to prove collusion of the guards? How so? If one of the many people who witnessed this are to be believed, it's accepted as fact. One of the early allegations is that a security guard led Asian students to an ambush. Are you saying these witnesses are lying? With all of this evidence, who are you to judge the credibility of these people?
You also have former teachers on this board admitting to witness at least indifference to this issue at this school, which clearly existed.

No-it seems to me that there is at worst a cover up of this and at minimum a minimization of it. That's just wrong.
My guess is the DOJ takes significant action and it will be up to the Asian students to decide whether or not to proceed to court.

The fact that they withheld going to court right away IMO only proves the reasonableness of their position. They could have gone right to federal court with guns blazing. This tells me that are not after money but real change.

[phillycat]

PCat-testimony IS evidence. If a fact finder believes the witnesses, it is accepted.
Difficult to prove collusion of the guards? How so? If one of the many people who witnessed this are to be believed, it's accepted as fact. One of the early allegations is that a security guard led Asian students to an ambush. Are you saying these witnesses are lying? With all of this evidence, who are you to judge the credibility of these people?
You also have former teachers on this board admitting to witness at least indifference to this issue at this school, which clearly existed.

No-it seems to me that there is at worst a cover up of this and at minimum a minimization of it. That's just wrong.
My guess is the DOJ takes significant action and it will be up to the Asian students to decide whether or not to proceed to court.

The fact that they withheld going to court right away IMO only proves the reasonableness of their position. They could have gone right to federal court with guns blazing. This tells me that are not after money but real change.

You are being hysterical. I am not commenting on the merits. They may very well have excellent testimony. I am just saying that it is not easy to prove any of this. There will probably be as many people saying it didn't happen as say it did...whether or not it is true.

I don't have any doubt that the school is messed up and needs serious correction. I just don't really understand why it becomes a personal screwup by someone who oversees nearly three hundred schools, many of which have very intractable violence problems that have existed for a long time. If you think this is the only school in the world where students have "gotten jumped" that's just crazy...the only difference is that this one seems to have an obvious racial component that has given it significant media play and has allowed various advocacy groups to get themselves into the spotlight. I just wish the world cared about every single act of violence at every single public school as much as they seem to care about this one.

[kotter]

I'm not commenting on the merits, only stating that it doesn't have to have merit to be filed.

I can't imagine it is going to be easy to prove the guards "colluded" with teenagers picking fights, unless it's on video. Not that I don't think it's very possible that they turned a blind eye.

.

It probably was on video. The school has cameras.

[phillycat]

Performance bonuses put Phila. teachers pact on cutting edge | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/21/2010

In schools targeted for the "Renaissance Program," the entire staff can be forced to transfer out and only up to 50 percent rehired at the school by its new management. Teachers working in those schools, which are to be identified in the coming months, also will earn more money for working an hour more a day and possibly more days each year.

In another major difference, the district and union agreed to abolish a long-standing policy requiring teaching staffs to be "racially balanced."

[Bulworth67]

You are being hysterical. I am not commenting on the merits. They may very well have excellent testimony. I am just saying that it is not easy to prove any of this. There will probably be as many people saying it didn't happen as say it did...whether or not it is true.

I don't have any doubt that the school is messed up and needs serious correction. I just don't really understand why it becomes a personal screwup by someone who oversees nearly three hundred schools, many of which have very intractable violence problems that have existed for a long time. If you think this is the only school in the world where students have "gotten jumped" that's just crazy...the only difference is that this one seems to have an obvious racial component that has given it significant media play and has allowed various advocacy groups to get themselves into the spotlight. I just wish the world cared about every single act of violence at every single public school as much as they seem to care about this one.

I think you are missing that the criticism of Ackerman is not the fact that the incident happened, it is her shameful minimization of it.