For our 38th podcast episode, we welcome Abbey Clements, a former Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher and co-founder of @teachersunify.bsky.social

A teacher’s first responsibility is to keep students safe. But we can’t do that alone. Secure firearm storage at home is essential to protecting kids — at school and beyond the gates. Let’s commit to safety, together. projectlockdown.org #BooksNotBullets #SafeSchoolsSafeCommunities ☮️📚📓

When kids and their teachers sell locks instead of lemonade, something’s wrong. 2 in 3 school shootings started with access to an unsecured firearm. Lock up. Save lives. #ProjectLockdown projectlockdown.org ☮️📓📚

Must 📖 @sharemylesson.bsky.social blog by our co-founder, Sarah Lerner. #BooksNotbullets

"This used to be a lemonade stand. Maybe someday it can be one again." Stop a tragedy before it starts. #ProjectLockdown projectlockdown.org

No teacher or child should fear for their life at school. This back-to-school season, join us and help protect our classrooms and neighborhoods through secure firearm storage. #ProjectLockdown #BooksNotBullets projectlockdown.org

“Students were greeted by therapy dogs outside the school Thursday morning, and some students and teachers arrived carrying flowers to add to a growing makeshift memorial to Nerissa Lee.” 💔📚📓☮️ @cbsnews.com.web.brid.gy

After a school tragedy in Minneapolis, kids & adults gathered to support #ProjectLockdown — Ed, a music teacher, and Mary Cathryn, a former classroom teacher & education leader. The kids led conversations on secure firearm storage because “Gun Locks Save Friends.” projectlockdown.org

Check out our August Newsletter. #BooksNotBullets ☮️📚📓

“The challenge with these hoaxes is that when you’re in the moment, you don’t know that it’s not real. To the individuals who are experiencing it, the fear, the anxiety, the worry — all of these feelings are very real.” @thetrace.org @jschildkraut80.bsky.social

Yesterday, a 9-yr-old in FL brought a loaded .38 to school. And today, a 13-year-old was arrested in WA after police found a large collection of guns and “mass shooting scenario” writings at his home. Guns are the leading cause of death for children in America. Secure storage saves lives.

Today’s post is a commentary from the Executive Director and co-founder of @teachersunify.bsky.social

There are more guns than people in the US. But we can curb this public health crisis if we choose to. Everyone at school & on college campuses should be safe from gun violence. Our hearts go out to the family & friends of Charlie Kirk, those fighting for their lives & all who endured immense trauma.

Schools should be safe from gun violence! 💔💔💔💔

Our hearts are with the Annunciation School and Church in Minneapolis, as school resumes today. The grief, trauma, survivor guilt, PTSD, dysregulation, deep sadness, and endless other effects are real and so difficult to navigate. We are so sorry. You are not alone. @mprnews.org 💔❤️☮️📓📚

No teacher or student should fear for their life at school. This back-to-school season, let’s help protect our classrooms and communities by promoting secure firearm storage. Learn more at projectlockdown.org.

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Our hearts ache for the Annunciation Catholic School community. 💔 The grief, trauma & questions are only beginning to unfold. Educators will need time, resources & connections with others who’ve endured this pain. Read this @teachersunify.bsky.social blog here 👉 sharemylesson.com/blog/annunci...

@AbbeyClements.bsky.social is right. We must be the adults in the room. To create safe, welcoming classrooms and communities for our kids to grow, we need to have tough conversations and take action to #EndGunViolence. @TeachersUnify.bsky.social minnesotareformer.com/2025/09/03/t...

I spent the day on Capitol Hill with @aft.org. I’ve never lobbied before; it was cool but I’m exhausted! I spoke to staffers for @repwilson.bsky.social, @frost.house.gov & Sen. Moody about massive cuts to education AND school safety, gun violence & the work @teachersunify.bsky.social is doing.

🌟🎉 @teachersunifypc.bsky.social—50 episodes! These oral histories counter the normalization of gun violence. Grateful to those who share their stories, this isn’t easy. Our hope: these narratives will inspire action, empathy, & safer schools & communities. ☮️📓📚 www.teachersunify.org/our-work

“We are experts on this issue, but we don’t see ourselves that way. Because we don’t have a seat at the table, we’re not invited to help make the policies and the plans that we’re ultimately responsible for in terms of taking care of our kids.” — Abbey Clements, Teachers Unify shorturl.at/BCEfl

Thank you @aft.org for your support & partnership @netrootsnation.bsky.social! We tabled, screened deathbynumbersthefilm.com & connected with many who shared stories of the fear & impact of gun violence. Grateful to all we met in NOLA & beyond—let’s keep working for safe kids & families!

Proud to be included in this important conversation! Pennsylvania folks, join us: act.ceasefirepa.org/a/backtoscho... @aftpa.bsky.social ☮️📓📚

Last night, I joined the @giffords.org @teachersunify.bsky.social Back to School webinar on school safety, secure storage, and trauma informed policies for students & educators. 4.6 million minors live in homes with an unsecured gun. Let's #EndGunViolence! #SecureStorageSavesLives #BooksNotBullets

Thank you @nbcsandiego.com for highlighting the life-saving power of secure firearm storage and uplifting the work of @teachersunify.bsky.social. Educators are trusted messengers in normalizing safety and spreading awareness. @giffords.org ☮️📚📓 shorturl.at/kJnAj

Schools should be safe from gun violence. 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔

Imagine a country that allows this over and over and over and over… Every sector of our society needs to stand up and implement resolutions, policies, practices, education to end this. Accepting this isn’t normal. It’s shameful 💔💔💔💔 #BooksNotBullets #EndGunViolence

Thank you to all the educators, paraeducators, professors, counselors, school staff (and so many others!) who care for kids & support them every single day in the most creative and dedicated ways. We see you and & so grateful. Books, not bullets. 📓☮️📚

“The gun lobby is counting on all of us to go back to that predictable pattern after a school shooting in which outrage fails to usher in true change.” @michelenorris.bsky.social

“Students and educators have engaged in activism around the issue of gun violence, and some educators have quit the profession.” @cnn.com We urge all school leaders to not only demand change, but to be part of it—and call on all elected officials to listen and take action!

How tragic that this country’s leaders refuse to come together and make decisions to protect children and teens from their leading cause of death: firearms. What kind of a country allows kids to be shot up in their schools, over and over again? www.aft.org/press-releas... @abbeyclements.bsky.social

Young people rally at the capitol, urging lawmakers for change amid recent shootings.

What an incredible few days in beautiful NOLA! 🩷 seeing good friends, partners, allies, activists. We are stronger together! @feelgoodaction.bsky.social @sari.bsky.social @chrisdier.bsky.social @austinheller.bsky.social @asherhuey.bsky.social @alexpalombo.bsky.social @keepgunsoffcampus.bsky.social

"Our model is about support before a tragedy happens, whether it’s in the school or a community, and then after." #Enough @teachersunify.bsky.social

Honored to attend the #NNSTOY2025. The sessions on gun violence prevention were powerful and necessary. We can’t normalize fear in schools. Educators must have a voice in real solutions. @teachersunify.bsky.social #BooksNotBullets #EducationForChange #NTLC2025 #Edusky

“The law requires the gun industry to create reasonable controls to prevent unlawful possession, use, marketing or sale of their products in New York and allows them to be sued for unlawful acts that create or contribute to threats to public health or safety.” apnews.com/article/gun-... ☮️📚📓

#SchoolStories #BooksNotBullets #EndGunViolence ☮️📓📚

This episode features La-Shanda West, an educator & Teachers Unify Ambassador. She talks about her activism, navigating life as a child-survivor of gun violence and why she remains in the gun violence prevention space. teachersunify.transistor.fm/50 @teachersunify.bsky.social

This episode features Karen Dunholter, a school social worker in MI. She talks about her experiences working with families impacted by homicide, losing a student to suicide at school, her school safety task force & more. teachersunify.transistor.fm/49 @teachersunify.bsky.social

@aft.org #TEACH25 ☑️ Tabled, screened www.columbine2024.com, & talked with a packed room of teachers about the toll of gun violence on teaching & learning & how to raise our collective voice for change. ☮️📚📓 @sharemylesson.bsky.social #BooksNotBullets #EndGunViolence

This was such an important panel/session with such special people. We’ve all found ourselves in this space from so many different experiences, from Columbine to Sandy Hook to Parkland. @teachersunify.bsky.social @aft.org @aftteach.bsky.social @abbeyclements.bsky.social @sari.bsky.social

Be safe this holiday weekend. #BooksNotBullets ☮️📚📓

This episode features Karen McDonald, former educator & judge, current Oakland County prosecutor & candidate for MI AG. She talks about time in the classroom, Oxford trials & her work to create a GVP foundation. @teachersunify.bsky.social @karenmcdonaldmi.bsky.social teachersunify.transistor.fm/48

Kids can’t just be kids—not when guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. #BooksNotBullets 💔💔💔 people.com/water-fight-...

Check out our June 2025 Newsletter highlighting new research, federal and local updates, our summer conference sessions, and Teachers Unify Podcast guest, Flo Rice. @teachersunifypc.bsky.social bit.ly/TUJune2025 #BooksNotBullets ☮️📚📓

If you’ll be in DC for AFT TEACH, please join us! These are such important stories, experiences & conversations. @teachersunifypc.bsky.social @aftteach.bsky.social @aft.org @sari.bsky.social @abbeyclements.bsky.social