According to Everytown, in 2025, there were at least 159 incidents of gunfire on school campuses. This is more than a staggering statistic; for educators and parents, it is the actualization of a fear that follows us into every school day.
Recent data from RAND reveals the heavy emotional weight educators carry, as 21% of teachers and 15% of principals reported worrying about being personally harmed at school. Their anxiety extends to their kids, with nearly 50% of all educators concerned that their students would be harmed at school.
These numbers represent a staggering legacy of trauma, as more than 398,000 students have now experienced gun violence on campus since Columbine. This number doesn’t include the thousands of teachers, school administrators, families, and communities who have been irrevocably impacted by school shootings.
Enough is enough. This is an outrage; our educators deserve to go to work and teach their students without fearing for their lives or the safety of their kids.
As a survivor teacher of a school shooting, I know firsthand the impact of gun violence in our schools. Being on the frontlines of the epidemic of gun violence means that we deserve a seat at the table.
That’s why I co-founded Teachers Unify to fight for teachers to be heard, voice their experiences, and find solutions. From expanding secure-storage education to providing trauma-informed support, we are building a system that protects the classroom from the inside out.
Teachers Unify is a grassroots movement of educators across America whose mission is to empower its constituents and supporters to demand that communities are safe from gun violence.
