A teenager from Ukraine who fled her war-torn country and relocated to San Francisco last year now wants to return after experiencing the violence of the city’s public school system.
The 13-year-old teen named Yana began the eighth grade at Marina Middle School in January. The Blaze reports that she soon realized that life in the United States, particularly as a vulnerable teenager, did not match the idyllic image that many non-Americans may hold of the country.
“I thought it was going to be better because it’s San Francisco,” she told the San Francisco Chronicle, as translated by her aunt. “But after two days, I saw everything going on at the school.”
Yana has reported to the newspaper that she has observed students continuously disrupting classes, causing chaos, and displaying blatant disrespect towards their teachers, all without facing any disciplinary actions. She noted that she quickly became aware that such behavior was considered “normal” for the school.
Unfortunately, Yana, who literally escaped from the horrors of war, became the target of bullies. She said that her phone was stolen, and a group of students threatened her, causing her to fear for her safety, all of which led her to stop attending school. Despite her family’s request for Yana to be transferred, the school district refused. As a result, Yana has not returned to school.
The Chronicle noted further:
Yana just wants to go back to her hometown in central Ukraine, back to the only school she knew before the war, even as her mom and aunt have started to research camps and other programs in San Francisco to occupy the summer months.
Millions of Ukrainians have fled the country, with many resettling in the U.S.
As for Marina Middle School, the violence and chaos there is no surprise. Last month, the San Francisco Examiner reported on horrible student behavior occurring at the school:
Teachers, counselors and security staff who have left or are still working at the Fillmore Street school report that recent incidents include students recording videos of themselves as they beat another student, three female students assaulting a special-education student, and a student bringing an air gun to school — all without documented suspensions at the time of those incidents.
Meanwhile, teachers and counselors report there are five to 15 students in the hallway much of the time while classes are in session. The students scream at teachers, throw food at each other and intimidate other students, some of whom are afraid to go to the bathroom.
Other reports have noted that the situation is so bad at the school that staff turnover is high and it’s difficult to fill vacancies, noting that it is “barely-controlled chaos.”
