Commentary: National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García provided the following statement in reaction to today’s shooting at Noblesville Middle School in Noblesville, IN:
“Our hearts are with Noblesville, Indiana, as they grapple with gun violence at Noblesville Middle School. We’re thankful that no fatalities have been reported, and NEA stands ready to provide any assistance we can offer to the Noblesville community. Our elected leaders who repeatedly choose inaction over the lives of our children must listen to the students who have been and continue to be most affected by these preventable acts. Decision makers must find the moral fortitude to pass common sense measures that keep dangerous weapons from being easily obtained by dangerous people. This simply does not happen in other countries where such laws exist. Until we take action, America will continue to add more names to the list of children taken from their families, schools, and communities. Enough is enough."
NEA maintains a crisis resource page for students, educators, parents, and communities at nea.org/safeschools. On our Safe Schools page, you can find advice for talking to students about violent tragedies, as well as tips for preventing school violence. You may also download NEA’s School Crisis Guide, which NEA assembled to foster the creation of crisis teams with the ideas, tips, tools, and resources that spur effective leadership and crisis management. Knowing what to do in a crisis can be the difference between stability and upheaval. This step-by-step resource created by educators for educators can make it easier for union leaders, school district administrators, and principals to keep schools safe—before, during, and after a crisis. The NEA School Crisis Guide can be found here.