chanel
Silver Member
In Philadelphia, schools are no sanctuary.
By June, the district's total of violent incidents had grown to 4,541. That means on an average day 25 students, teachers, or other staff members were beaten, robbed, sexually assaulted, or victims of other violent crimes.
That doesn't even include thousands more who are extorted, threatened, or bullied in a school year.
And those are just the incidents that are reported; teachers, students, and administrators interviewed by The Inquirer during a yearlong investigation say many are not. During the 2009-10 school year alone, 183 cases came to the district's attention only after the city police made arrests.
Violence in Philadelphia schools is more than the sheer numbers. The specter of violence traumatizes students and teachers, and stifles learning.
Climate of Violence Stifles City Schools | Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/27/2011
Let's review the current discussion of school reform.
1. Pay teachers more
2. Get rid of tenure
3. Abolish unions
4. Merit pay
5. Healthier school lunches
6. Vouchers
7. Charter schools
8. IPADS
What am I missing?
The writing is on the frickin wall. You cannot "fix" schools while ignoring that many children are afraid. How do we "fix" that?