ICYMI: Meeting Educators Where They Are
Teachers Unify expands their reach from summer conferences to the union floor
Abbey Clements (L), at the International Society for Technology in Education meet-up
Last month, Executive Director at Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, Abbey Clements, gave us a wrap-up of various educational conferences she or her org’s ambassadors attended across the country this summer.
In case you missed it, here is her report below.
Our colleague Abbey Clements — co-founder and Executive Director at Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence — recently spent time traveling to, speaking at, or checking in to a number of coordinated teacher conferences across the country that were tasked with, among the mirad of other educational issues, addressing gun violence as a workplace safety issue. Here is her report.
By: Abbey Clements
Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence ambassadors have been busy leading sessions, tabling, and hosting meet-ups at education conferences across the country this summer — from Florida, Texas, and Connecticut to virtual gatherings with the Attachment and Trauma Network, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), National Teachers Hall of Fame, National Network of State Teachers of the Year, the School Safety Summit for School Administrators in Leon County, and the Connecticut Teacher of the Year Council.
Through these efforts, more than 15,000 new educators and leaders have been introduced to our work, with over 150 attending our deep-dive sessions led by teachers, clinicians, school shooting survivors, and education leaders.
It is absolutely essential that we meet educators where they are — both physically and in the everyday challenges they face — because gun violence impacts school communities deeply; and teachers, staff, and district leaders must be centered in conversations and actions for change.
Building on this momentum at the national level, I attended the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Convention last week in Washington, D.C. to advance a pivotal resolution framing gun violence as a workplace safety issue.
As an AFT retiree and 32-year educator, I was honored to speak on behalf of the resolution and share why this work matters so deeply alongside union leaders, educators, healthcare workers, and school staff from across the country.
Schools should be educating parents about secure firearm storage. Just as we have changed public health outcomes around smoking, seatbelts, and car seats, we can shift the culture from easy access to responsible security. That’s what this resolution aims to accomplish.
National Teachers Hall of Fame meet-up
I believe with all my heart that it won’t be politicians who save us, it won’t be another law. It will be teachers and schools doing what they do best — educating.
The resolution advocates for codifying school-led prevention strategies, including collective bargaining and secure firearm storage education. Following a comprehensive union process and unanimous support, the resolution was adopted on July 19 to a standing ovation from nearly 3,000 voting delegates in attendance.
This milestone represents the core mission of Teachers Unify: serving as the bridge between the education and gun violence prevention sectors while empowering educators and allies to lead solutions. We are profoundly grateful for AFT’s ongoing commitment to ending this public health crisis, the leading cause of death for kids and teens in America.
Read the resolution here.
Not only did the resolution pass, but we are receiving overwhelming support for this mission across the country. Looking ahead, our next step is organizing educators and school staff to do what they do best: educate. Secure storage saves lives, and school communities are uniquely positioned to lead the way in making it standard practice.
Abbey Clements is the Executive Director, co-founder, and a board member of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence. She is a survivor teacher of the Sandy Hook School tragedy in 2012, and was an elementary educator for over 30 years.
Photos courtesy of Abbey Clements