Dear friends,

Three years ago today, we formed Stand with Parkland - The National Association of Families for Safe Schools to be a voice for all our nation’s families seeking positive change.

Our approach to fixing America’s tragic problem in regard to school violence is uniquely inclusive, non-partisan, and comprehensive. This allows us to have productive conversations with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle so that we can move the country in a positive direction in a united way. It is an approach that is rarely used in these troubling times, but we believe that by working together, we can find solutions to keep all students and teachers safe.

As families who have experienced the unfathomable loss of a loved one in the 2018 Parkland massacre, we have come together to spark change out of tragedy so that no other families will have to endure the pain that we have. Our work is intended to honor our children and spouses who were taken from us too soon. We are inspired by the love and support of people around the world who reached out, the courage of surviving students who have shared their stories and spoken out, and the millions who have marched alongside us. We invite all American families to join us in standing strong against violence in our schools. 

Despite the interruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an incredible year of legislative victories, collaborative partnerships, and educational events -- many of which happened on a virtual basis. 

In the past year, we have: 

• Continued to support the build out of SchoolSafety.gov, which we helped create to provide schools and districts with guidance to create safe, supportive learning environments.
• Partnered with the New York Film Academy to produce a virtual panel drawing attention to the Parkland community’s response to tragedy and the path forward.
• Successfully advocated for the Alert Systems in Public Schools Act, which was signed by Florida governor DeSantis and championed by Parkland parents Ilan and Lori Alhadeff. 
• Partnered with the Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center to enhance school safety by educating the public about behavioral threat assessments. We continue to support the bipartisan EAGLES Act (named after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mascot) which will increase research into ways to prevent school attacks.
• Partnered with SaferWatch to expand the app’s coverage, enhancing safety of schools by notifying multiple entities of a potential emergency. 
• Met with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to encourage them to come together to improve the safety of American schools.
• Joined CBS News to discuss our work with the 117th Congress and the Biden administration to find pragmatic solutions to help improve school safety.
• Met virtually with Ambassador Rice and Representative Richmond (and others from the Biden administration) to discuss ongoing efforts of Parkland victims’ families to prevent mass school shootings. 
• Submitted testimony to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution about red flag laws.

In addition to marking another year of progress against the scourge of violence in our nation’s schools, this June also marks the month that nine freshmen students who were murdered in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting would have graduated with their fellow classmates as part of the Class of 2021. Although our loved ones’ lives were tragically cut short, we honor their memory by working to prevent future tragedies like these from ever happening again and protecting America’s students and teachers through sustained advocacy efforts. 

We will continue our work towards safer schools by focusing on the triad of school safety: enhancing campus safety, improving mental health screening and support programs, and encouraging responsible firearms ownership. And we will always do so in a pragmatic, bipartisan way by working with anyone who shares our goal of safe schools and focusing on bringing people together for positive change. We invite you to join us in this movement. 

To commemorate the three-year anniversary of the founding of Stand with Parkland, we are launching a fundraising drive to support our work as we look forward to the year ahead. 

Please make a contribution today to make your voice heard and help us advocate for pragmatic solutions which  will bring us one step closer to a world in which our students and teachers can feel safe at school. Your support is what makes the difference. 

Thanks for your support,

— Tony Montalto
President, Stand with Parkland - The National Association of Families for Safe Schools