With heavy hearts and unshakeable resolve, we write to seek your support.  We are a coalition of educational stakeholders committed to demanding, facilitating, and realizing substantive change in our fundamental ability to keep our schools’ children safe.  As such, we ask you to join us to advocate for the passage of laws to keep our schools safe from weapons of war.

As educators, schools, and communities, we have relentlessly worked to foster, ensure, and maintain safe learning environments for our students and teachers.  Yet the issue that is out of our control is that of the weapons of war brought to bear in these attacks on our children.  Despite our mental health resources, our physical security barriers, our coordination with local law enforcement, and the tireless work of our student services professionals, these efforts are too often negated by the type of firepower in the hands of perpetrators.  While we have repeatedly demonstrated a commitment to professional development, appropriate staffing, community building, and resource allocation, our government has routinely abstained from passing a ban on all weapons of war.  We believe the proposed legislation linked here is a critical step in giving our collective efforts the upper hand in ensuring our most fundamental responsibility: student safety.

We believe the time has come for us to coalesce as we advocate for real change, support the powerful movement that our students have started, and create the conditions in which our stakeholders feel empowered and able to take a stand and facilitate change.  We are energized by the voice that so many are finding and sharing.  We believe it is, in part, our responsibility to ensure these voices see and realize their power in changing the narrative and the outcomes of these horrific situations.   

We greatly appreciate your consideration, partnership, and advocacy to shield our kids from undue risk and harm in the face of weapons meant for war.

Motivated, coordinated, and together,

Jason Markey - Father, High School Principal, Suburban Chicago, IL

Chris Lehmann - Father, CEO / Co-Principal, Philadelphia, PA

Erin Groth - Mother, Teacher, Suburban Chicago, IL

Corey Janisch - Father, Teacher, Suburban Chicago, IL

Jenna Shaw - Teacher

David Narter - Father, Teacher, Chicago, IL

Carla Hicks Bos - Mother, Elementary Principal, CA

Amy Gorzynski - Teacher, Chicago, IL

Dwight Carter, Father, Principal, Suburban Columbus, OH

Dr. Bradford Hubbard - Father, Assistant Superintendent, Suburban Chicago, IL

Amy Stolarsky - Mother, Teacher, Chicago, IL

Natalia LeMoyne - Mother, Coordinator for Educational Technology, Guilderland, NY

Ben Kovacs - Teacher, Suburban Chicago, IL

James Lima - Father, School Board Member, Suburban Chicago, IL

Mayra Carrera - Teacher, Suburban Chicago, IL
Richard Drehobl - Father, Grandfather and retired Policemen.

Devin Schoening - Father, Instructional Technology Program Lead, Council Bluffs, IA

Jaime Casap - Father, Education Evangelist, Google

Dr. Lisa Stevenson- Mother, Director of Instruction, Bettendorf, IA

Catina Haugen Mother, Elementary Principal

Dr. Demian Singleton - Father, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Guilderland, NY

Dr. Kathy Robbins - Mother, Grandmother, retired Superintendent

Jennifer Kloczko - Mother, Elementary Principal Cameron Park, CA

Emily Roth - Mother, Educator

Kristin Kahlich - Program Manager, Google, San Francisco, CA

Tom Whitford - Father, Educator, Wisconsin

Jennifer Heisler - Mother, Teacher, Illinois

Kyle Pace - Father, Director of Technology, Kansas City, MO

Dr. Henry Thiele - Father, Superintendent of Schools, Suburban Chicago, IL

Kristin Ziemke - Educator, Chicago, ILk

Jennie Magiera - Educator, Chicago, IL

Cynthia Ellis- Mom, Teacher, Suburban Chicago, IL

Nancy Blair Black - Mother, Educator, Florida

Laura Smith-Raykiewwicz - Mother, Teacher, Illinois