Arlene Ackerman Screws South Philly High … Again

High School Sigh. In case the faculty and students of South Philadelphia High School haven’t dealt with enough stress in the last year or so, Superintendent Arlene Ackerman — who took lots of heat for mishandling the racial violence at the school — dropped another info bomb on them today. Beginning in fall 2011, the school will be entirely restructured as a “Renaissance School.” This means at least 50 percent of the teachers — and some administration members — will be replaced. This decision comes after recent reports that the school had finally started to make positive strides toward racial acceptance and academic success. So naturally, Ackerman decided to shake things up. Fortunately, new principal Otis Hackney, who is credited with fostering a more accepting culture among students, has been told he will stay in his position, but over all, this seems like a hasty change for a school that’s only started to recover. [Inquirer]