School Climate & Safety

Philadelphia Report Criticizes District’s Handling of Racial, Ethnic Conflicts

By Dale Mezzacappa & Philadelphia Public School Notebook — March 02, 2011 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

District officials are “taking very seriously” a report from the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations finding that it lacks the policies and procedures to prevent and counteract widespread intergroup conflict in city schools.

The report, drawn from 11 public hearings on school violence triggered by December, 2009 incidents at South Philadelphia High School, was officially released at a City Hall press conference Tuesday.

Tomás Hanna, associate superintendent for academic support, noted that the district’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Safe Schools will make recommendations in June. He said the district is already taking some action, including principal training, and will put a “comprehensive plan in place” to address issues brought out in the report, called “Widening the Circle of Our Concern.”

It painted a disturbing picture of a district that lacks “a clear and consistent framework for preventing and resolving intergroup conflicts,” while the policies in place “are neither uniformly implemented, nor clearly communicated.”

The report questioned whether the district even recognizes intergroup conflicts as a systemwide problem that needs to be prioritized. The report also found that language services for students and families that don’t speak English are woefully inadequate and exacerbate problems.

The PCHR document is the second major report to come out in the last few months to declare the zero-tolerance discipline policy a failure “that alienates students and has an adverse effect on school climate.” Youth United for Change came to a similar conclusion in January.

At the same time, the report said, the district has failed to adequately pursue and implement alternative discipline strategies, including positive behavior supports, peer mediation, and restorative justice—all of which emphasize prevention, restitution, and conflict resolution over punishment.

Hanna said that the district “wants to do everything possible to create an environment for young people where teachers can teach and students can learn,” and “doesn’t apologize for policies that make young people feel safe,” including metal detectors and other security measures. At the hearings, some students said that the jail-like security at schools does not set the right tone for learning.

Commissioner Marshall E. Freeman said that School Reform Commission chairman Robert Archie had personally assured him that he will do “anything and everything he can” to improve processes in which incidents can be reported and dealt with systematically.

Republished with permission from The Philadelphia Public School Notebook. Copyright © 2011 The Philadelphia Public School Notebook.
A version of this article appeared in the March 09, 2011 edition of Education Week as Philadelphia Report Criticizes District’s Handling of Racial, Ethnic Conflicts

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Federal Webinar Navigating the Rapid Pace of Education Policy Change: Your Questions, Answered
Join this free webinar to gain an understanding of key education policy developments affecting K-12 schools.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Evidence & Impact: Maximizing ROI in Professional Learning
  Is your professional learning driving real impact? Learn data-driven strategies to design effective PL.
Content provided by New Teacher Center

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Enhancing School Safety and Emergency Response
This Spotlight will help you explore proactive measures and effective strategies for enhancing school safety and emergency response.
School Climate & Safety Leading a District After a School Shooting Is Hard. These Superintendents Want to Help
A network of superintendents who've led districts after school shootings plans to support colleagues recovering from similar crises.
4 min read
Photograph of crime scene tape and school.
F. Sheehan for Education Week / Getty
School Climate & Safety States Emphasize School Violence Prevention, Not Just Security
In the wake of school shootings in their states last year, legislators hope to avert future tragedies.
7 min read
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa.
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa. The deaths in school shootings last year have led to new legislation in a half-dozen states.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
School Climate & Safety Leader To Learn From One Leader’s Plan to Cut Chronic Absenteeism—One Student at a Time
Naomi Tolentino helps educators in Kansas City, Kan., support strong school attendance.
9 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Naomi Tolentino leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week