Ackerman apologizes, says all students hurt in S. Philly
by Dale Mezzacappa on Dec 16 2009 Posted in Breaking news
Superintendent Arlene Ackerman said in opening remarks at Wednesday's School Reform Commission meeting that the recent incidents at South Philadelphia High School hurt all students and staff, not just the Asian students who were beaten by some of their schoolmates.
"This incident, while painful to those young people who were physically injured, left emotional scars on all the students and staff at South Philadelphia High School. For this I am saddened and I deeply apologize," she said.
Ackerman said some students had told her they felt unfairly stereotyped by media coverage of the incident, which she termed "sensationalized." She said the School District "has now been asked to singlehandedly solve the issue of violence and racial discord" that is deeply rooted in history, and go far beyond the schools
Ackerman characterized the violence that triggered the weeklong boycott of classes by a group of Asian students as being perpetrated by "a small group of students of multi-ethnic origins." She said South Philadelphia students told her that they believed the coverage "maligned some races and mischaracterized others," and that their stories had been told "unfairly."
She repeated her statement from last week that there were two incidents of "random violence," saying that the Asian students were "caught in a flurry of revengeful acts." Ackerman had said earlier that the violence against the Asian students came after some Asian students had attacked a Black special education student the day before.
In her seven-minute remarks, Ackerman also said that she was impressed with the students with whom she met Tuesday night in Chinatown not only for how they discussed the issues, but for what they said "about the behavior of adults before and after the incident." The meeting included the boycotting Asian students and also, at Ackerman's insistence, a group of most African American "student ambassadors" from the school
The Asian students have consistently blamed not other students, but adults in the school for not allowing the violence to happen.
Ackerman said that she was at the school Wednesday morning when the students returned.
Ackerman said the District is taking both short-term and long-term steps to deal with the issues -- reiterating that while she wants students to be in a safe and nurturing environment that she remains as committed as ever to what she termed a "no tolerance" policy for students who commit serious offenses.
A 50-person task force on racial and ethnic issues started meeting this week, Ackerman said, and is reviewing the District's Policy 102 on multiculturalism that was adopted by the old Board of Education more than a decade ago.
She concluded that it is time to "let the healing begin."
This practice breaks my heart!
How should the District make up for the 
Comments (14)
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 08:38.
Is it just me or does Dr. Ackerman seem continually defensive? She continues to evade responsibility of that school's leadership. She continues to link two incidents to justify the attacks even though they involved two entirely different sets of youth. And she continues to hide behind students instead of owning the District's actions and mistakes. How about a "no tolerance policy" on district officials who fail to act when they should?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 15:27.
Could Arlene be a racist for condoning attacks on any and all Asian students because of some other fight between black and Asian students? Nah...
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 15:58.
I see the situation as very simple. If 30 Asian students were attacked, it was a hate crime conspiracy. Have the police been involved? Are there efforts to bring perpetrators to justice to the fullest extent of the law, whether they are juvenile or not?
I find comments that it is cultural misunderstandings that led to the assaults ignorant and less than honest. In this day and age, you don't physically assault another for cultural misunderstandings. What exactly is being taught at the schools? I find it perverse that the perpetrators are being excused for deeds with comments like :
"But in the long run, it's the people, - not systems, not programs, not cameras, not. . . security officers or police officers - it's the people of this city, it's the students of the city, who have to make a conscious decision that we can live in peace and harmony,"
These are high and mighty words, but what is actually being done to protect each student and heal the traumatic experience and stigma in them?
If the violence doesn't stop here and the perpetrators not taken, then what's next? Ethnic rape gangs like in 3rd world countries?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 16:04.
Ackerman is ridiculous.
"All students hurt"? When did 30 assaulted victims become the whole school student body? Looks like math needs to be taught better in additional to civil rights history.
Have the African american community in Philly forgotten what it was like to be the victims of race and ethnicity based fear and violence?
Does this need to become a national civil rights issue before the mayor and school officials own up to the problem? and REALLY do something to apologize and make whole the trauma to the assaulted students?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 19:20.
I have been wavering between shock, dismay and disgust at the response of the District to what happened. The students testified clearly that they blamed the adults, but it is the adults (yes and Dr. Ackerman is right up there) who keep pointing back at the children, trying to deflect responsibility. The students say it was racial not because of the race of the attackers but because they were singled out to be beaten solely because of their race. It is the adults that try and had a less sophisticated analysis. It is the youth who took a stand after years of benign neglect. It is the adults who condemn them for doing so. And it is not only Ackerman who needs to apologize (though it hardly sounds like an apology), but all of us for remaining silent during this travesty.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 19:44.
Remember Jena Six ?
Why is this different? Where's the rainbow coalition now???
Oh, right, now it's "everyone" is injured, not just the "beaten" Asian kids....
Bogus.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 19:55.
Ummm...the country is not the same one I grew up in...that is for sure...but can someone tell me this...
If an employee of an institution says to a client...or parent...that if you do not appear before a state or Commonwealth commission that is supposed to investigate complaints...and if you do not appear before the commission...than your requests will be met...isn't that like...um...illegal...isn't that like against the law...isn't there a legal term for that in our society? I am referring to Dale's article...
Is there law? Does law matter in Philly?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 20:04.
If this were private industry...and this situation existed...where people are beaten and dragged out of offices and beaten on the streets...you can bet all heck would have broken loose...and Eric Holder would be on top of this, as would Lynn Abraham...
You can only imagine...
And, as we speak...whenever I see the students on TV or in the news...they are shielding their faces...and refuse to be identified in print...I don't blame them...
Is this Latin America...are we in some kind of junta? Yes, disgrace is the right term...
No, we are in South Philly...in Philly...that is the problem...
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 21:47.
I agree with the poster who labeled Ackerman defensive. No one is saying all African Americans are attacking all Asians. Even the victims don't say that. However she feels compelled to make excuses, as though the violent actions of a few reflect upon every African American. That's silly - as is tying the incident to the supposed attack of an African American student by Asians - something only Ackerman has mentioned - the day before.
She and her hand-picked principal are absolutely to blame; it is they - and the nonprofessional staff who enabled the attacks - whose inaction is most culpable. I really hate to say this, but I do wonder if her reactions would have been different if 30 African American students had been attacked by another group. Its very troubling that she can't just stand up for the harrassed students without making excuses. I can't envision that happening were the complexions of the students reversed.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 09:46.
To equate the "hurt" suffered by those who were harrassed and beaten to that of "all staff and students at SPHS" is further evidence of the tone-deafness and arrogance that hastened Suerintendent Ackerman's acrimonious deartures from her previous posts.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 15:38.
Multiculturalism is a dead horse at this late stage. Students are quite aware of ethnic differences and can piously recite politically correct statements -- indeed, as they're beating someone to the ground for being "racist." or racial. White kids are a generally endangered species at Phila public schools for this very reason: teachers ignore them in their efforts to advance teh worthy cause of helping a disadvantaged minority, and all the discourse white chidren must hear, day in and out, is how they are oppressors, uncool, that they have no "culture," etc. And then they get bullied and isolated and administration, worried about looking as if they're on the side of white or asian or any non-African-American group, turns their back or, like Ackerman and the South Philly principle, blackwashes it. It's never racial violence when African-Americans engage in it. In the interests of multicultural pap, African-American students are always given excuses and benefit of the doubt.
It's time to change the discourse from race to ethical behavior: how we are to treat each other regardless of race, class, gender, etc. Not how some groups are better or more oppressed or more anything than others. This is a deadly violent enraging tradition, multicultural teaching, that needs to be put to sleep. It did its work back in the 80s and perhaps early 90s. But now it has no force beyond a kind of new racism that it perpetuates and sustains.
Ideas need to keep evolving to meet the current circumstances. Old school multiculturalism is the Cosby era Wake up and smell South Park's roses.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 13:05.
For over four decades and numerous superintendents our city has consistently failed to address major problems such as truancy, school violence and the ongoing drug-fueled crime epidemic with any science-driven, accountable, best practices process. The response has always been some new form of smoke and mirrors; some new form of "spin" with a catchy label. While other urban districts (Boston, Denver, Sacramento) come up with measurable holestic solutions driven by the high cost of failure (over $600,000 per drop-out) the politicians we select to take the lead in this war against ignorance continue to pass on the science of problem solving in favor of the usual high stakes blame game. What would a world class problem solver like Dr. Edward Deming do with this mess? An objective baseline study designed to demonstrate precisely where our educational process is "bleeding the most". Given this objective data, resources to actually begin to solve the problem would be allocated and the ongoing cycle of failure just might begin to slow for the first time in 40 years.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 16:55.
If Dr. Deming where around...and a candidate...he would be disregarded because of his gender and race...
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 19:29.
Did anyone see some years ago Dr. Deming's TV interview where the interviewer asked him to comment on the many new uses of his Total Quality Management (TQM) concept? The interviewer asked what he thought about the use of TQM to "improve" our schools. Dr. Deming replied that he would never allow a child of his to attend a school run on TQM principles. The shocked interviewer asked for an explanation. Dr. Deming replied with one of my all-time favorite quotes, "Because children are not widgets." He had to explain this to the interviewer, but I think most teachers & parents (but few people who spend their days at 440 or its branch offices) understand what he meant.
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