Dec 11

Written by: Bret Rachlin
12/11/2009 4:01 PM

Instead of attending school earlier this week, Asian students at South Philadelphia High School planned to meet outside of school during school hours after a series of assaults last week (Source: Education Week, December 7, 2009, Philly Students Plan Walkout in Wake of Attacks). The assaults took place among black and Asian students, resulting in ten student suspensions. While accounts of the incidents differ, some Asian students claim school security guards “often turn a blind eye.” According to regional superintendent Michael Silverman, the racial tension “started in the community and came into the school. I don’t know how you separate the school from the community.” He indicated that school officials “have met with school security guards to discuss the need for consistent discipline.”

Overall, South Philadelphia High School faces an uphill battle in providing a safer learning environment. Not only must it address racial tension, but a language barrier makes it all the more difficult to improve the communication among the disparate groups. It’s imperative that the school work closely with community law enforcement to establish behavioral guidelines for community members, as well as school students. If the parents can’t show respect for each other, including those of a different race, then how will the students learn to coexist? Obviously, this is not a new problem, but as the United States struggles to keep pace with foreign countries, it’s critical for schools to improve the safety and security of its students to achieve their high educational goals.

What recommendations would you make to South Philadelphia High School to improve its race relations? How can this high school leverage last week’s incident to help it provide a safer learning environment as quickly as possible?

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