South Philadelphia High School - History

History

Originally built in 1907 as the Southern Manual Training High School for boys. The Philadelphia School District administrators opened the School merely as a three year training facility for immigrant children, mostly Jewish and Italian, and children who lacked intellectual skills who “could only work with their hands”. But Israel Goldstein, a student, and first alumni scholarship winner in 1911, showed to school administrators that there was more promise for academics. He graduated the school at age 14 and then graduated the University of Pennsylvania at the age of 17. Israel Goldstein became a Rabbi, an author, spiritual leader and founder of Brandeis University in Waltham Mass. He became a leader of the Zionist movement in America and founder of the National Conference for Christians and Jews. Due in part to young Israel Goldstein as an example of student possibilities the 3-year training facility became a full four-year co-ed High School.

In the late 1960s the population in South Philadelphia changed from predominately poor Jewish and Italian immigrant and first generation children to include low-middle income Afro-American and immigrant Asian-American children. The number of student enrollment from 1960 to 2009 declined from over 1,000 to less than 500 students.

In the 2000s the school had an Asian American population that made up around 20% of the school, and that population consisted mostly of new immigrants. Tammy Kim of said "the school, despite its otherwise nefarious reputation, has become well known for its program."

In December 2009, several Asian American students accused the school district of mishandling racial attacks that targeted Asian-American students. On December 4, 2009, 26 Asian-American students, most of whom were of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, were attacked by a large group of African American students near campus. Officials involved in resolving the incident, including Superintendent Arlene Ackerman and retired U.S. District Court Judge James T. Giles, were accused of failing to address the rising racial tension between different ethnic groups within the school, mishandling key evidence and eyewitness accounts in recent related attacks, and falsely accusing and punishing Asian-American students for inciting the attacks. Their actions prompted national outrage and boycotts from local Asian-American communities.