Students attending Charlottesville High School in Virginia are starting their Thanksgiving break a few days early after teachers at the school refused to show up to work following reports of several fights among students.
The closure began on Friday when the high school canceled school for the day due to “an unusual number of staff absences.” The absences were the result of a large number of teachers calling out from work, as well as an insufficient number of substitutes to respond to the shortage.
BIDEN’S BIRTHDAY REMINDS VOTERS ‘BUBBLE WRAP’ PLAN TO PROTECT HIM IS IN FULL SWING
In a statement Friday, Charlottesville City Schools said that the absences were due to “two related fights” that had occurred the day prior and were part of a larger pattern of violence among students throughout the fall term. The fights occurred the week after the school’s principal abruptly resigned.
“These same students have often been tardy or absent from classes or otherwise disruptive,” the school district said. “While these students have received both supportive and strong disciplinary actions, the situation remains.”
The Charlottesville Education Association, the local teachers union, said in a statement Friday that the organization had no part in organizing the absences but noted that “unsafe conditions, the lack of substitute teachers and coverage, and the lack of response from administration led staff to take action today.” The union called for school to be canceled on Monday and Tuesday so that staff could “address the climate and the culture at CHS.”
Following Friday’s day off, the school district announced that students would not be welcomed back to school on Monday or Tuesday and that both days would instead be teacher workdays. The announcement means Charlottesville High School students won’t return to class until the Monday after Thanksgiving.
“As part of our discussions, we agreed to cancel classes at Charlottesville High School on Monday and Tuesday, November 20-21 to allow administrators and staff to continue planning for a ‘reset’ of school policies, procedures, and culture so that we can return to our core purpose – offering a safe learning environment in which our students will grow and thrive,” the district said. A new interim principal for the high school was also appointed over the weekend.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The district said that this week’s teacher workdays will focus on “further review and improvements of safety protocols, better understanding of the expectations and disciplinary procedures within CCS’s Student Rights and Responsibilities, increased clarity around the division’s accountability expectations, and continued attention to staff wellbeing.”
Additionally, the district said it is “seriously exploring” the possibility of installing weapons detectors, and urged families to “reinforce the expectation that students will attend class on time and will participate in all learning activities.”
