Teacher says she quit because of racial violence at city school
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
By: Susan Phillips
sphillips@whyy.org
A group of Asian students boycotting classes at South Philadelphia High School are addressing the District's School Reform Commission today.
The students stopped going to class after a series of assaults last week drew attention to what they say is ongoing racial violence at the school. The students say the problem has a long history.
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Jenna Sommerkorn worked as a coordinator for the English as a Second Language program during the 2006 – 2007 school year. Sommerkorn says two or three times a month, she witnessed major assaults in the hallways on foreign-born students. But she says school administrators and security staff did not respond to her pleas for help.
Sommerkorn: That was the biggest source of assaults, you had students who would cruise through the floor between classes, just punch somebody or clock a small Asian girl and then run. You would ask someone for their badge and they would verbally abuse you and run.
Sommerkorn says the Asian students were terrified of entering the cafeteria, and often asked to eat in her classroom. She quit after just 8 months on the job.
About 30 students were assaulted last week. This week, 50 Asian students refused to attend classes until the district insures their safety. They say their attackers are primarily African American students.
District officials say they have stepped up security at the school. Superintendent Arlene Ackerman is creating a task force to address racial and cultural awareness.
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Take a look at this story, and the comment:
http://whyy.org/cms/news/government-politics/2009/12/17/d-a-blames-judges-for-conviction-rates/25781
No one in their right mind would come to Philly. Does the city not have a PR team at least? Often, PR can explain to the leaders that the city is losing residents, jobs, tax money due to the crime here. The bottom line is that no one gives a s__t here in Philly, and that there are better cities in which to live. I feel sad, as I live in Philly. But this is the sad truth of the leadership here. Nutter is hoping to become a national figure. Well, let's hope people who are interested in him know how to do a Google search and find these stories.
Where the hell is Jesse Jackson when you need him? He should go to Philly to give a lecture to the Black students about racial violence to clean up their image. He obviously doesn't care if racial violence is not acted on Black citizens.
I am shocked and appalled at the amount of racial violence that is being tolerated by school official in Philadelphia. It is truly despicable that this issue has been ignored for so long. Schools are supposed to safe places for students to get an education, students are supposed to be protected. Clearly, the Superintendent is not doing her job and ignoring the blatant racial problem because if she does acknowledges the problem people will question why she didn't do something sooner.I am wondering if her children were being attacked in this manner would she react differently or if the students weren't Asian would she react differently. If these incidents are truly representative of what Philadelphia is like as a whole,I wouldn't want to be anywhere near it. Philadelphia must truly be a hell hole.
Yorker,
I recently graduated from college and this is my first year teaching and it happens to be in Philadelphia. "The district is a hell hole" is a HUGE understatement. The administration is completely inept in running schools. I can't wait to get out of here!