WHEREAS, School violence and youth violence have been persistent problems in Philadelphia and in Philadelphia public schools; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia School District student Terrell Pough (18) was shot dead on November 17, 2005; and
WHEREAS, The Terrell Pough story has received national attention; and
WHEREAS, Eleven days later on November 28, 2005, a young man was killed and another critically injured in separate shootings, blocks from the site where Terrell Pough was slain; and
WHEREAS, One area high school in Philadelphia has been described as out of control resulting in the transfer of more than 225 over-aged and under-achieving students; and
WHEREAS, An alarming number of violent incidents are reported each year in Philadelphia schools; and
WHEREAS, During the period 2000 to 2003, twenty-seven schools in the School District of Philadelphia have been classified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as persistently dangerous; and
WHEREAS, A persistently dangerous school is defined as one having a certain number of violent incidents resulting in an arrest or weapons related incidents resulting in an arrest; now therefore be it,
RESOLVED, That the Philadelphia City Council calls on the Committee on Education to conduct hearings on the incidence of violence in Philadelphia schools and explore ways in which violence in schools can be reduced.
End