To: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos
DeVos did what?! Tell her gun violence IS a school safety issue
Gun violence is a school safety issue! Education Secretary Betsy DeVos can't exclude gun violence from Trump's Federal Commission on School safety. We all know this issue is more urgent than ever as kids head back to school.
Why is this important?
Gun violence is a national epidemic—which is why so many members of the Smart Girls community, an organization I founded to help young people cultivate their authentic selves, have been marching, organizing and speaking out. These smart youth get what Education Secretary DeVos doesn't: That gun violence is real, it's no joke, and we can do something about it. Members of Smart Girls also know you can't cultivate your authentic self if you're hiding in panic rooms or practicing being silent in gun violence drills.
At a senate hearing, DeVos was questioned about whether the Federal Commission on School Safety, specifically formed by Donald Trump on the heels of the mass shooting in Parkland, FL, would look at the role of guns in school violence. Her answer? Nah.
What’s the point of studying school safety in response to a mass shooting if it doesn’t consider the role of guns? I can't believe we need to teach this to the secretary of education!
*Things the Commission is studying:*
The impact of videogames on violence
The impact on media on violence
Effective school safety infrastructure
Social emotional support
Thoughts and prayers (Kidding! We made that one up!)
*Things the Commission is not studying:*
Guns
Gun violence
Gun violence prevention
The minimum age for firearms purchases, even though the charter for the commission explicitly included this as an area for study
Members of the commission include: Secretary DeVos, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, all of whom seem agree that school safety is a priority and that kids should not be afraid to go to school. And yet, they’re not tackling the very crisis that led to the formation of the commission.
In other words, what the heck are DeVos and Trump thinking?!
Betsy DeVos has not shown herself to be a shining light in America's education system—from her attacks on transgender students to disrespect for teachers—but this is a chance where she could try to do some good. Instead she and Trump's other appointees are looking to waste our money, ignore a critical issue, and cover up for gun lobbyists.
Tell Sec. DeVos: Gun violence IS a school safety issue! Take it seriously and include it in this federal commission.
At a senate hearing, DeVos was questioned about whether the Federal Commission on School Safety, specifically formed by Donald Trump on the heels of the mass shooting in Parkland, FL, would look at the role of guns in school violence. Her answer? Nah.
What’s the point of studying school safety in response to a mass shooting if it doesn’t consider the role of guns? I can't believe we need to teach this to the secretary of education!
*Things the Commission is studying:*
The impact of videogames on violence
The impact on media on violence
Effective school safety infrastructure
Social emotional support
Thoughts and prayers (Kidding! We made that one up!)
*Things the Commission is not studying:*
Guns
Gun violence
Gun violence prevention
The minimum age for firearms purchases, even though the charter for the commission explicitly included this as an area for study
Members of the commission include: Secretary DeVos, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, all of whom seem agree that school safety is a priority and that kids should not be afraid to go to school. And yet, they’re not tackling the very crisis that led to the formation of the commission.
In other words, what the heck are DeVos and Trump thinking?!
Betsy DeVos has not shown herself to be a shining light in America's education system—from her attacks on transgender students to disrespect for teachers—but this is a chance where she could try to do some good. Instead she and Trump's other appointees are looking to waste our money, ignore a critical issue, and cover up for gun lobbyists.
Tell Sec. DeVos: Gun violence IS a school safety issue! Take it seriously and include it in this federal commission.