Lessons from South Philadelphia High

Last December, South Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia was out of control. An outburst of racial violence [2] prompted Asian students to boycott the school for a week. They wanted to pressure the school administration to do something about ongoing hostilities with black students.

Many South Philly students blame last year’s violence on administrators who seemed oblivious to the growing racial gulf. For instance, Asian students were put into ESL classes on the school’s second floor. Such classes are good and welcome. But the Asian students, who make up 18 percent of the school’s population, were almost permanently segregated from blacks, who make up 70 percent. South Philly effectively became two schools in one building. That kind of isolation creates few opportunities for mutual understanding and lots of chances for strife.

The new school year has brought a new administration and a sense of optimism [3] for all concerned. We hope it can ease the tensions that have been building for several years. But the situation at South Philadelphia raises important issues for all educators.

Most schools are constantly modifying the services they offer—like ESL—to meet changes in population or community expectations. Whatever factors weigh in those decisions, preserving a healthy and inclusive school climate should always be front and center. The Teaching Tolerance materials here [4], here [5] and here [6] can help deal with these and similar issues. Read them over and let us know what you think.

Garcia is special projects manager for Teaching Tolerance.