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.
and I think a poorly articulated effort to shift the conversation from racial fingerpointing to a more general acknowledgement of violence issues in schools has been deliberately portrayed as minimization, in order to continue the racial fingerpointing. Just an opinion.
and I think a poorly articulated effort to shift the conversation from racial fingerpointing to a more general acknowledgement of violence issues in schools has been deliberately portrayed as minimization, in order to continue the racial fingerpointing. Just an opinion.
I'm still trying to figure out your point. Aren't you outraged that 30 kids were beat up? You might feel differently in your neighborhood, but in South Philly we want some answers when our kids get beat up, not excuses. Why did the district place that principal with the checkered past in that school? Why didn't she follow through on her promise to meet with Asian groups?? Why didn't she return Alan Wong's phonecalls? Why did she order the guards to take the kids to the lunchroom, going against their established protocols? What kind of person leads children into a crowd when they already told her they were scared based on the previous assaults of the day? Why did those attackers think they would get away with the assaults? Why did the administration then spin it to look like retribution and then gang violence, when the kids who were attacked were not gang members? Yes, we should look at violence issues in general in all schools, but we should never minimize what happened to these kids. And don't get me started about the exploitation of the Ambassador Real Faces of South Philadelphia kids.Shame shame on Ackerman!
The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (PCHR) is holding public hearings to hear from students, parents, faculty, police, community members, and youth-service organizations about violence in Philadelphia?s public schools.
The hearings will focus on violence motivated by race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
The first hearing will be held:
January 28, 2010
4pm-7pm
Guerin Recreation Center
2201 S. 16th street (16th and Jackson Streets)
Language interpretation services will be available.
Come Out and Be Heard!
For more information go to: City of Philadelphia.
You must register to testify: e-mail Naarah' Crawley at naarah.crawley@phila.gov or call .
You can also submit your testimony in any language via e-mail to: hrcommissioners@phila.gov.
Your testimony will help us to create a report with recommendations that will be submitted to the School District.
If you are deaf or hard of hearing and need an ASL interpreter, or other accommodation please call TTY: 215-686-3238 or e-mail naarah.crawley@phila.gov
I thought I read at one point that the SDP independent report about the incident would be out at the end of this month. I will be interested to read that and see what the findings were. Anyone know when that report is being released?
I quote Helen Gym from her blog in the Philadelphia Notebook: "Students from South Philadelphia High School spoke about how little school leadership had changed its attitude toward ongoing concerns by Asian immigrant students. They spoke about harassment in the school cafeteria in full view of adults and about the fact that administration leaders had never checked in with them since they ended their boycott over concern about their safety. They said that the only thing making them feel marginally safer was the presence of cameras in the school. However, the “relationships have not changed,” they said."
Disgusting behavior from adults who are not sincere - notice the students mentioned "leadership" not teachers - who is the leadership? the principal? Ackerman? when will those in leadership get a clue? when will they care about the kids rather than just using them as a step up the ladder? I'm just waiting for Ackerman to cut and run again, like she did in San Francisco and DC.
BTW - I know this is responding to a very old post but, NO ONE IN A WHEELCHAIR has been beaten up at Southern - I, like others, also object to the implication the administration was throwing out there that the violence against Asians was in some way in response to some heinous behavior by those targeted - IT WAS NOT
Also, a report did come out which cleared the school police of any wrongdoing - so who does that leave to blame?? where does the buck stop?? with the principal? who was hired by Ackerman? shame shame, Arlene, I thought it was all about the kids
Also, a report did come out which cleared the school police of any wrongdoing - so who does that leave to blame?? where does the buck stop?? with the principal? who was hired by Ackerman? shame shame, Arlene, I thought it was all about the kids
I heard about that initial report. But, SDP hired Judge Giles to do a full investigation and my understanding is that he has been. Initially I had read that his report would come out at the "end of this month" which I assumed meant January. Does anyone know if it is out and if it is publicly available? It should be.
BTW - I know this is responding to a very old post but, NO ONE IN A WHEELCHAIR has been beaten up at Southern - I, like others, also object to the implication the administration was throwing out there that the against Asians was in some way in response to some heinous behavior by those targeted - IT WAS NOT
I questioned that at the beginning of the thread. I wanted to know who was the kid that supposidly was beatedn up since there were not any reports of the fight. All we had was Ackermans word which is worthless in my book.
Looks like the Giles report on the attacks of the Asian students in South Philly is coming out today. If it doesn't say that these are hate crimes then I demand an investigation of the investigation...Remember, these are our kids who are getting beat up at a place that's run by a principal who was kicked out of New Jersey. Report on S. Phila. High violence expected tomorrow | Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/22/2010
Asians kids have been picked on by the black community since they arrived,Southern has documentation of racial disturbance for 15 yrs only they refer to them as ordinary fights,they are hate crimes & the Asains have all the proof they need,the trouble with the Asains is they dont want to matriculate with the rest of the student population,they stay by themselves,that is a recipe for disaster.Young brothers see this aloofness & get offended,Asains should try to interact with other ethnics,start off with a Dance at Southern Nite,try to get the whole melting pot thinking as one,off-duty cops attending,with vest,maybe a West Side Story will come out of it
The report was a joke; I think it was co-authored by Ackerman, frankly.
I was also wondering "What the HELL is Giles thinking- banning HOODIES will stop the violence????" Its useless, and Ackerman is now rallying the Mayor, Police Commmisioner, DA, et al, to support "her" fight against student violence...
damn good things the brothers and sisters are in charge.
