Monday evening, a community group will host a public conversation about the violence at Charlottesville High School

Charlottesville United for Public Education will host a public listening session regarding the violence at Charlottesville High School on Monday evening.

The event will feature a teacher panel, and allow for community members to make two-minute comments. School Board members Lisa Larson Torres and Dom Morse will be present, the organization said in its email to community members.

The group organized the event after teachers forced the district to close Charlottesville High School on Friday by organizing a mass “sick out” day in response to violence on campus. A handful of CHS teachers wanted to create a community forum, and asked CUPE to organize it, said Sandra Aviles Poe, the group’s community organizer.

“The teachers want a voice,” Poe said. “And they want the community to know, this is what we’re actually living, this is what we’re actually seeing. And that allows the community to have their own idea of what the real, lived scenarios are within the schools.”

CUPE is a nonprofit community group that describes itself as, “a coalition of parents, grandparents and community members committed to ensuring every child in Charlottesville City Schools receives quality education.”

Find ways to get involved with CUPE here.

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