Title
Calling on the School District of Philadelphia to review and enhance school safety policies regarding students, teachers, parents, and staff, as well as provide a report to Council on their findings.
Body
WHEREAS, In 2012, a Blue Ribbon Commission by then Mayor Michael Nutter and Superintendent Arlene Ackerman released a report stating "that Philadelphia School District violence was widespread and underreported, with reporting standards varying widely from school to school. Some cases in which students were seriously injured were downplayed and not counted in the district's serious-incident tally, which stands at 30,000 over five years" according to an Inquirer Report at the time; and
WHEREAS, In February of 2023, City Council unanimously passed Resolution #230091 "Authorizing the joint City Council Committees on Public Safety and Education to hold public hearings to examine statistics for in-school violence protocols, student-to-student violence, violence, parent-to-parent violence, and teacher safety." Even though hearings were held on this Resolution, there is not enough done to actively report on issues concerning school safety; and
WHEREAS, In 2022, a parent violated school entry procedures by not signing in at the office, walking directly to a classroom, and physically attacking the teacher at a school in the district; and
WHEREAS, In February of 2022, after students got into a fight at George Washington High School in the Northeast, another confrontation took place between a parent and the group of students. The parents were on campus to discuss a mediation plan, but one of the parents in the group decided to attack the students believed to be involved. In a separate fight, one student sucker punched another student causing him to lose a tooth and require stitches. Some fights are even being attributed to racial tensions; and
WHEREAS, In August of 2022, an unrelated shooting outside of Willard Elementary School where three people were inju...
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