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State education groups mourn victims of Texas elementary school shooting

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Tue, May 24th 2022 11:55 pm

New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta issued the following statement today mourning the victims of the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

“Our hearts are broken. In New York, our emotions are still raw from the senseless mass murder at a Buffalo supermarket just more than a week ago, and now we watch as our colleagues in Texas, the students they devote themselves to and their families, are forced to grapple with yet another horrific mass shooting. We stand with the families of those killed and the school communities affected by this tragedy.

“What will it take to put a stop to these hateful, sickening acts of violence? Our schools must be a safe place for all. As we mourn those who have lost their lives, we must also stand up and demand better for children, for parents, for educators and for communities across the nation.”

New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.

New York State School Boards Association Executive Director Robert S. Schneider said, “Today, we mourn the lost lives of 18 children and one teacher at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas – all victims of yet another unthinkable school shooting.

“The lives, hopes and dreams of these young children have been taken from us. As members of the education community, we grieve the loss of these young people. We know that no amount of sorrow can make up for the lives lost today. And we know that no words can ease the unbearable pain felt by the parents, family members and friends of the innocent victims in today’s school shooting.

“As school board members, our first instincts are always to protect the children in our schools. That is why we mourn so deeply today’s tragic events. Our leaders in education, government, business, health care and other industries must come together to solve this problem. We stand ready to be part of any discussions.

“We are a divided nation, but if we cannot come together for our children, then we have lost our way.”

NYSSBA represents more than 670 school boards and more than 5,200 school board members in New York. NYSSBA provides advocacy, training and information to school boards in support of a mission to govern the state's public schools.

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