Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence

February 2026 Newsletter

Our February newsletter is out!
Gun violence impacts school communities every day, often without national headlines. We support educators on the front lines, build community, elevate vital voices, and push for a seat at the table and real solutions. Join us! ☮️📓📚❤️‍🩹 shorturl.at/Baefw

#edusky #educoach join Teachers Unify for connection and community as we work to collectively reduce the impacts of gun violence in our school communities

Statement in response to the Pawtucket, RI Ice Rink Shooting "Our hearts are with all impacted by this senseless act of violence and the entire Pawtucket community on a night meant to be celebratory. This trauma has impacted several school communities. In the aftermath, it's important to commit to supporting the educators and school staff who will be instrumental in holding these communities together."

Sending strength to all the school communities impacted by this tragedy.

Our Crisis Intervention and Support Team is here. It’s ok to ask for help — response@teachersunify.org and (203) 296-3689.

❤️‍🩹☮️📓📚

LUNCH AND LEARN TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24™H 12:00 PM FOCUSING ON EDUCATORS: A CONVERSATION WITH ABBEY CLEMENTS OF TEACHERS UNIFY Join us for a discussion about the impact of gun violence on American schools and universities, and how educators can take action to prevent gun violence today. REGISTER TODAY

MEET THE SPEAKER ABBEY CLEMENTS Abbey Clements is the Executive Director and CoFounder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence and was an elementary teacher for 32 years. She and her then-2nd graders are survivors of the Sandy Hook School tragedy on 12/14/12. Since that fateful day, Abbey has been a gun violence prevention activist. She is a strategic consultant on gun violence issues for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and a member of the ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence National Advisory Council REGISTER TODAY

Join us for a Lunch & Learn with MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence on 2/24 at noon EST! Hear about the vital voices of educators and how we can help prevent and respond to tragedies. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... ☮️📓

"As the proud mother of two girls who are recent Minnesota public school graduates, I'm still deeply concerned about the impact these thoughtless, indiscriminate operations have had on our school communities." - Lisa Cook, Teachers Unify Director of Development TEACHERS UNUSY TO END GUN VIOLENCE

Thank you @startribune.com for publishing our op-ed, “More Money for ICE, but Less for Gun Violence Prevention.” Weaponized intimidation & surveillance put students and educators at great risk for psychological & physical harm. “The guns-everywhere agenda from the gun lobby only makes us less safe.”

What Has Changed—and What Hasn’t—Eight Years After School Gun Violence Eight years after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, educator Sarah Lerner reflects on trauma, resilience and what it means to keep teaching in the aftermath of school gun violence. What has chang...

We’re grateful for the voice of our co-founder & podcast host, Sarah Lerner. “This day never gets easier. The pain never goes away. The memories, nightmares, survivor’s guilt and mental health issues always remain—sometimes tucked away, sometimes front and center.” ☮️📓❤️‍🩹💔 @teachersunifypc.bsky.social

"I show up because I have to - for my students, for this community, and for the memory of those who were taken. But I also show up because I refuse to accept that this is the best we can do for our children." — Sarah Lerner, teacher-survivor Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Teachers Unify Co-Founder & Podcast Host

Sarah is also a member of the Teachers Unify Crisis Intervention & Support Team. “There are so many who are forced into this terrible club. Having been through it in 2018, I know the resources that would’ve been helpful for me. I want to be able to give that to others.” ☮️📚📓❤️‍🩹💔

The Teacher in Room 1214

“I wasn’t strong, I faked strong because I wanted them to be strong,” Ivy Schamis.

Ivy, beloved teacher from Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS, endured such horror on 2/14/18 in her classroom. She is a member of the Teachers Unify Crisis Intervention and Support Team. ☮️📓📚❤️‍🩹💔

ICYMI - Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Turns 4 An interview with co-founder and survivor, Abbey Cements

In case you missed it, below is our recent interview with @abbeyclements.bsky.social from @teachersunify.bsky.social

Thank you, @gvpedia.bsky.social! ☮️📚📓

REGISTER NOW COMMUNITY MEETING 2/25/2026 Join us at 7:00 EST in Zoom Our February Community Meeting will feature high school teacher and community advocate: La-Shanda West! Featured Guest: TEACHERS

Join us for our February Community Meeting! This month’s virtual gathering features HS teacher & Teachers Unify Ambassador, La-Shanda West. She’ll help guide the discussion around creating trust & safety in classrooms — a powerful form of gun violence prevention.

Register here: shorturl.at/SPpT8

RoundUp Spare change, Big impact Please consider donating your spare change to fund our programs at Teachers Unify! • choose a MC or Visa to round up your purchases to the next whole dollar • it's tax deductable • you can set a limit, if you'd like • sign up at RoundUp.org Thank you for your ongoing support! @teachersunify

Please consider rounding up for Teachers Unify! ☮️📓📚 www.roundup.org/nonprofit/ct...

Our hearts are with the entire Rainier Beach High School community in Seattle, WA. #BookshotBullets #EndGunViolence

Two students were killed last week in a shooting at a bus stop near their school. 💔☮️📚📓
www.fox13seattle.com/news/victims...
The Teachers Unify Crisis Intervention team is available for support—it’s ok to ask for help. 203-296-3689 response@teachersunify.org

Statement in response to a 2nd grader who unintentionally shot himself inside an Anne Arundel County classroom. "Classrooms should be safe places where no one should fear or experience gun violence. In the long term, we hope Maryland schools can use this moment to empower teachers to educate parents about how important it is - and how easy it is - to secure their firearms safely at home." TEACHERS

“Thankfully, no other individuals were injured. Still, we have students, parents, teachers, and school faculty who have been left traumatized. A gun in one of our schools is our worst nightmare, and we are all grateful this did not end worse.” www.cbsnews.com/amp/baltimor...
www.projectlockdown.org

"When I took this job I thought I might have to lay down my life for students in some way. Never did I think the federal government might be the aggressor." — Joni Besse, Executive Administrative Assistant, CT K-4 public school

#SchoolStories
#EducationNotEscalation
#ICEOut
☮️📚📓

This episode features Jack DiPrimio, a survivor from the Brown Univ. shooting on Dec. 13, 2025. He talks about his experience, the loss of a dear friend, navigating life as a survivor & why he is committed to making change in the GVP space. @teachersunify.bsky.social teachersunify.transistor.fm/58

Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence: Cultivating Hope, Collaboration, and Change January 21, 2026 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm EST Free Webinar!

It’s not too late to join this free webinar on 1/20 at 1pm EST! Register here: url-shortener.me/8MBN We’ll discuss:
*️⃣ strengthening resilience & school safety
*️⃣ establishing cohesive interdisciplinary teams within & across systems
*️⃣ cultivating trustworthy spaces for self-preservation & wellness
☮️📚📓

Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Condemns the Militarization of our Schools by ICE "Deploying armed, masked federal agents onto our campuses and communities is an escalation-not protection. Weaponized intimidation and surveillance put students and educators at great risk for psychological and physical harm." TEACHERS UNIFY TO END GUN VIOLENCE

Across the US, schools & neighborhoods are being treated like military zones. Students, educators & families deserve safety, not fear. We demand learning environments free from armed intimidation & surveillance. Our classrooms are not battlegrounds. They should be sanctuaries. ☮️📓📚

This episode features Kate McCann, an educator & state legislator from Vermont. She talks about her experience as a high school math teacher, work she’s done in the legislature, what students & teachers can do to enact change and more. @teachersunify.bsky.social teachersunify.transistor.fm/57

#edusky join me for this important conversation

Join hosts Liesl and Sydney at our Community Meetings - all are welcome - • meet featured guests • build connection • take action TEACHERS UNIFY TO END GUN VIOLENCE

Excited to announce that Teachers Unify Community Meetings are back! Join us on January 28th, 7pm EST! Many thanks to our incredible Ambassadors, Sydney and Liesl, for relaunching this important opportunity for connection, support & action. Register here: shorturl.at/afM6f Hope to see you there! ☮️❤️‍🩹📚

Minneapolis schools cancel classes after Border Patrol clash disrupts dismissal at Roosevelt Minneapolis schools closed for the week citing safety concerns after an encounter involving armed Border Patrol agents near Roosevelt High School.

Even when gun violence happens outside of school, our school communities are impacted. Schools have closed for the rest of the week in Minneapolis and the entire state of Minnesota is struggling — teachers, students, and families will be focused on anything but learning for quite a while. ❤️‍🩹☮️

The Boston Blobe "Our kids shouldn't go to school and fear that they're going to be killed." - Sydney Chaffee

The Boston Blobe "We don't dream of lockdown drills. We don't get into the profession and say, 'Oh, I can't wait until I can step into my first classroom and figure out which furniture I'm going to use to block the door. We don't dream of, I can't wait to be able to console my kids when they've lost someone or attending our students' funerals. That's not why we're in this field." - Sydney Chaffee

The Boston Blobe "There's a look' teachers give one another in the aftermath of school shootings. It's like, 'Can you even believe this continues to happen over and over?' And without talking, teachers know what that means," - Abbey Clements

After the Brown University tragedy, Sydney (2017 Nat’l Teacher of the Year & TU Ambassador) & Abbey (TU co-founder & Sandy Hook survivor) spoke with @bostonglobe.com. We refuse to normalize this!

Crisis Team help: response@teachersunify.org | (203) 296-3689 ☮️💔❤️‍🩹📚

School Stories: Sofia Gonzalez Sofia, a Teachers Unify Ambassador, educator-leader, and activist from Chicago, shares her experience losing students to gun violence and her fierce commitment to safe schools and communities.

“The first two year of teaching, instead of graduating my students, I felt like I was burying them more to gang and to gun violence,” — Sofia Gonzalez, Teachers Unify Ambassador, teacher, education leader, activist. 🎧 here & subscribe to our Substack! ☮️📚📓 @teachersunifypc.bsky.social

This episode features Sofia Gonzalez, an educator from Chicago. She talks about losing students to gun violence, what brought her to education & navigating as an activist. She shares an excerpt of an essay & gives suggestions for change. @teachersunify.bsky.social teachersunify.transistor.fm/56

Thank you for decades of leadership on gun violence prevention and for uplifting educator voices and @teachersunify.bsky.social! Proud to work alongside you. Here’s to a safe 2026! ☮️📓📚❤️‍🩹

Thank you for standing with us! TEACHERS UNIFY TO END GUN VIOLENCE Leadership. Action. Support. #BooksNotBullets

As we wrap up 2025, please consider making an end-of-year donation and sharing this with your circles. We have big plans ahead, and your support makes them possible. ☮️📚📓❤️‍🩹

Thank you — here’s to a safe 2026!
donate.teachersunify.org/a/donate

"Gun violence is a public health crisis. We knew we had to do something because in every part of gun violence prevention, the teacher voice was missing. And we knew that we needed to have a seat at the table and be able to talk about these things from our perspective as classroom teachers." - Sarah Lerner, Teachers Unify co-founder & Podcast host, survivor-educator of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS tragedy

Thank you, Michelle White Mendoza, of KIQI 1010 AM San Francisco — “Información Es Poder,” for uplifting Sarah’s story and Teachers Unify. ☮️📚📓

SUPPORT Crisis to Care • Survivor-led Crisis Intervention & Support Team • 50+ hours of recovery training • Community relationship building & programming

Thank you for standing with us! No one should be killed, shot, or traumatized at school! @teachersunify Reach our Crisis Intervention & Support Team: response@teachersunify.org / 203-296-3689

#BooksNotBullets
#EndGunViolence
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2025 Impact Leadership. Action. Support.

WHY THIS WORK MATTERS On the Frontlines In 2025, educators carried the fear and impact of gun violence alongside students and families. There have been at least 75 school/university shootings this year & an average of 57 incidents in/around schools every day. (CNN, The Trace)

LEADERSHIP Team Building • National educator & survivor network • First Leadership Summit • 2 new staff roles • 2 new Senior Advisors • 12 new Ambassadors • Retired Teachers Cohort

ACTION Voices for Change • Project Lockdown - secure storage & prevention • 15,000+ educators & allies engaged • 17 new Teachers Unify Podcast episodes

The fear & impact of gun violence have no place in our schools & communities. In 2025, we took action—building networks, organizing & training, providing survivor-led support & amplifying voices for change. ❤️‍🩹☮️📚📓 www.teachersunify.org www.projectlockdown.org
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