A Hero of One?

I have been meaning to blog about an article written in the Philadelpia Inquirer on March 2nd about the racial unrest which took place at South Philadelphia high between Asians and Blacks last semester and how a few (one in particular) teacher were looked upon as being 'heroic' in their efforts to protect the Asian students being beaten up by Black students (http://www.philly.com/philly/education/85934112.html). 

There are numerous examples of teacher as 'hero' in our current vernacular (see: Freedom Writers, Dangerous Minds, Stand and Deliver, Lean on Me as examples).  However there are very few if any stories told through the lens of students who are oftentimes the 'silent majority.'  Although I applaud Ms. Sutton-Lawson's behavior and in my own teaching experience know all too well that teachers like her are too rare a comodity in low performing urban public schools, I want to know where were their fellow students in this melee?  Have we produced a generation of youth who are so afraid of stepping up and stopping their peers (i.e. no snitching) that they can passively stand on the sidelines and watch their fellow classmates be beaten (and in the example of the violence which took place outside of a public school in Chicago, killed)?

As an educator and mentor for over fifteen years, I refuse to believe that this generation of youth is so callous and uncaring.  It is up to us as those who work with youth and leaders to perform as admirably as Ms. Sutton-Lawson, but also know we have an army of students behind us doing the same.

Flash-mob, misguided youth, or something else?

In Philadelphia the past week has been filled with some interesting discussions about youth and education.  The paper of record, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the independent Report created in response to the violence which took place last semester at South Philly High between Asian and Black youth (http://tinyurl.com/yhpx8yp).  In the same edition, the paper reported on an incident at the Gallery at Market East in Center City (downtown) Philly.  Approximately 100 youth were involved in what the press called a "flash-mob." 
(Fox 29 2/17/10 report on "Flash-mob" in Center City, Philadelphia)

Several questions come to mind...

Why are some children/youth classified as "animals" and worse by both the press and the public without reproach?  

Why do we (social justice educators, parents, concerned adults, people with common sense...) allow such a police state (as Dead Prez put it) to exist in our cities and public schools?  

Is there a singular place we can lay blame, or is it all of our fault?

Hopefully this blog will be a space where we can begin to have a discussion, debate on these and other issues.  The notion of reforming public education begins with thinking about the youth - not the adults.

Too many public officials want to enact drastic measures to  restrict student access to public transit (http://tinyurl.com/yfdtpyp), or worse, keep youth out of public spaces all together.  City comptroller of Philadelphia Alan Butkovitz and Inspector Edward Kachigian of the Central Division need to help the city come up with alternative options for youth not restrict their access to public transportation.

There has to be an alternative compromise.  It is up to all of us to help guide these youth alternatives to choose better options and yes, give them tough love when they do wrong.  

What we can't do is to continue to abandon them and expect them to figure out right from wrong on their own - often with long term deadly consequences.

Peace - Stuart

If you don't know now you know...

The reasoning behind the logo begins and ends with my childhood favorite Schoolhouse Rock.  If things could only be this simple now.  Instead we are fraught with such division and anger, we can't even agree on whether or not this type of "commercial" is considered educational.  In short, it is...Action!