UPDATE: Roundtable Seeks to Bring Community Together, End Bickering over Teachers Strike

UPDATED 5 P.M. APRIL 11: The roundtable has been canceled due to public safety concerns. Click here for the story.

Two residents -- originally on opposite sides of the teachers' strike issue -- have joined forces to organize a roundtable designed to bring a divided community back together.

"We all have a common goal of wanting our community back and having a good school system," said Jeff DeJongh, one of the organizers. "It's time to come to common solutions instead of bickering."

The Strongsville Schools Roundtable is set for Friday, April 12 at the Ehrnfelt Recreation Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with presentations to start at 7 p.m.

It will include a roundtable discussion and a question-answer period.

Who's Invited

The forum is open to Strongsville residents -- driver's licenses and student IDs will be checked at the door, a flier says.

The group has also sent invitations to Strongsville School Board members and school administrators, to Strongsville Education Association members and to city of Strongsville officials.

School Board President David Frazee said most, if not all, school board members and administrators will decline the invitation.

The board is expected to issue a statement on the event soon.

The Event Center at the rec center holds about 400 people. DeJongh said he hopes to be able to televise the event to an overflow crowd and also broadcast it later on cable TV.

Unusual Beginnings

The roundtable actually came about when DeJongh, who supported the teachers in the ongoing strike, got into an online argument with a board of education backer.

"Through the argument, we realized we both want the same thing -- a good education system," DeJongh said.

They have since met in the middle on the issue, he said.

They are hoping a one-on-one roundtable discussion will "de-escalate things" and make people realize there is more to be gained by working together than arguing about who is right.

Guests will be able to write down questions before the presentation starts for an hour-long Q and A session. There will also two roundtable discussions.

"We're trying to bring some closure to the anger," said DeJongh, who has three children in the Strongsville schools. "It's time to put things aside and work together."