Rep. Vargas to Moderate a Community Forum on School Discipline Saturday

File photograph. (Image licensed by Ingram Image.)

The “School-to-prison pipeline” is on the agenda for a Saturday community forum moderated by Rep. Andy Vargas.

Organized by Katrina Hobbs Everett of the Power of Self Education (POSE), the forum is free and open to all with lunch provided. It will be held at Rehoboth Church, 409 Washington St., Haverhill.

From 12 to 4 p.m., panelists Graciela Trilla, Jaclyn Cirinna, Matthew Cregor, Robert White and Susan Maze-Rothstein are set to host breakout sessions highlighting a variety of discipline alternatives for at-risk students.

Everett tells WHAV she was inspired to bring the panel to Haverhill given the recent school shootings and, closer to home, the discipline report out of Crowell School Kindergarten.

She hopes Saturday’s panel sparks a community-wide conversation.

“In light of the school shootings (nationally) and the report that came out regarding the Crowell School, it brings up several topics that are part of the ‘School to Prison Pipeline’ that we haven’t gotten to highlight here in Haverhill,” Everett said. “Those topics are special education, mental health and school safety in general. That conversation is one that is critical for the community to be a part of.”

To register for the event, contact Everett via email at [email protected].