Our hearts break for and with the families of the three children and three adults killed yesterday in Nashville, and all families and communities that have experienced loss and trauma due to gun violence. The relentless tragedy of school shootings is gut-wrenching.
As a nation, we must urgently and continuously address the hatred and intolerance that leads to these acts as well as address the shortcomings of our country’s gun policies, mental health care, and legal systems that could prevent this major and frequent form of terrorism.
Every child deserves to be safe at school. Full stop.
Change is necessary at every level, including the policy level. In our capacity as a support organization, we will be working with our member schools to ensure that educators, parents, and students have the resources they need to grapple with school shootings. As an advocacy organization, we will continue to look beyond our single issue of charter public schools and work across coalitions and movements to increase regulation necessary to ending senseless gun violence.
Resources:
National Association of School Psychologists – Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers and Helping Children Cope With Terrorism – Tips for Families and Educators
San Diego County Office of Education – Resources For Educators, Families To Discuss School Shootings
Colorín Colorado: a bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners – 15 Tips for Talking with Children About Violence
Child Mind Institute – Talking to Kids About Racism and Violence and Helping Children Cope With Frightening News