Parents, students, and teachers discuss problems and solutions for Charlottesville High School

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - On the heels of fights in the hallways and teachers calling out sick, the Charlottesville High School community gathered Monday night to share their concerns about what’s happening at the high school and to look for solutions.

With a packed auditorium, a steady stream of attendees got in line to voice their opinions.

“I’m disappointed this conversation tonight is just listening and not planning and doing,” one CHS parent said. " “We don’t know how deep the problem is because the school system is not being honest.”

Some in the crowd questioned the teachers who asked for another day of withholding students from learning.

“What I haven’t heard is why didn’t the teachers come to work?” another CHS parent asked.

But the panel of teachers said this reset was necessary.

“I felt that there were systems created that need to be flushed out more,” CHS teacher and panel member Holly Faulconer said in response to why having Monday and Tuesday off was important.

Parents repeatedly asked was what was being done about the violence at CHS.

“We want our children to learn,” a CHS parent read from a prepared letter. “We think that there are too many fights.”

The panel answered saying safety will improve when school resumes after the Thanksgiving break.

“There will be actionable steps so that there’ll be clear expectations of what it is and what should be and what should not be allowed within our school,” CHS teacher and panel member Joseph Patterson promised.

Students spoke out on the negative culture they see at the school.

“There’s kids that go into bathrooms and just smoke tobacco,” one CHS student said. “There’s kids that just start random fights.”

But some students also reminded the crowd that the school still has a lot to offer.

“There’s so much good that I see every day when I come to school,” another CHS student said.

Now that the community has spoken, it’s going to be up to the administration to take action on what they heard.

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