It is a statistic that should stop us all in our tracks: firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in America.
When car accidents became a leading cause of death for our children, we didn’t just accept it as an inevitable part of life. We took a collective, common-sense action by mandating seat belts, requiring car seats, and improving safety standards. We treated it like the public health crisis it was, and we saved countless lives.
Yet, as firearms have taken that top spot, educators and students are still waiting for that same level of urgency. Since 1999, more than 398,000 students have experienced gun violence at schools, and there have been over 435 school shootings. Behind every one of these numbers is an educator who knows no classroom is really safe.
At Teachers Unify, we refuse to let this become an inevitable part of life. We are a grassroots movement of educators and allies demanding that our schools and communities finally be safe from gun violence. We are amplifying the voices of those closest to the classroom to change the culture of violence and advocate for the same kind of safety-first approach we’ve applied to every other threat to our children’s lives.
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.
