Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Applauds AFT Delegates and Leadership for Unanimously Passing Groundbreaking New Resolution on Secure Firearms Storage

Washington, DC – Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, a grassroots movement of educators and school staff that bridges the gap between the gun violence prevention and education communities, has released a statement applauding the American Federation of Teachers for a new groundbreaking resolution on gun violence prevention that was adopted at the union’s national convention.

The resolution that passed the convention, authored by Teachers Unify Executive Director Abbey Clements, builds on past resolutions by committing the union to focus on building safer school communities by working with school districts to educate parents around the dangers of unsecured firearms in the home. According to recent studies, nearly 7 million kids live in a home with an unsecured, loaded firearm and most school shootings involve a student finding an unsecured gun in the home and bringing it to school. School shootings, unintentional shootings and suicide by firearm are not inevitable if we promote secure storage of firearms.

“As an AFT member, I am so proud of the union for stepping forward and embracing this critical resolution that will make our schools safer workplaces for teachers and safer learning environments for students,” said Clements. “I believe that we can change the epidemic of gun violence in our school communities if we can do what schools do best, educate our communities. I’m so grateful for the leadership of AFT President Randi Weingarten and the leaders at AFT Connecticut and I look forward to partnering with AFT to build on this resolution as we enter back-to-school season.”

Read the full text of the resolution here.

"Educators, staff and their students deserve a safe school environment, free from fear. But our nation’s unrelenting gun violence epidemic—and our federal government’s lack of will to tackle it—have made our schools far more dangerous places, where students learn to hide before they learn to read,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. “Since the 1999 Columbine massacre, there have been more than 435 school shootings, often involving a firearm left unsecured in the home. Unlike Congress, our members can’t ignore this public safety issue of our time. I am proud that AFT members are taking action by adopting a vital resolution, championed by Abbey Clements of Teachers Unify, to treat gun violence as a critical workplace safety and public health issue. Through community education and tools such as advocacy and collective bargaining, we will continue fighting to make schools the safe and welcoming places they should be for all."

Watch video of Abbey’s remarks to the convention delegates here.

Abbey Clements is the executive director and a Co-Founder 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. Abbey has been featured in various events, publications, and documentaries, including the 2024 DNC, Newtown, If I Don’t Make It, I Love You, Bullets Into Bells, AFT Voices, USA Today, AARP, Share My Lesson, The Hill, among others.

###

Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence envisions a future where every school in the United States is a safe haven and a safe learning environment for every child, and where all citizens live without the fear and trauma of gun violence.