On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, we were all confronted by the news about the school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas – a predominantly Latinx city – where 19 children and 2 teachers were killed. This comes on the cusp of the tenth anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre. Gun violence is ubiquitous in our nation, a total blight. Not even two weeks ago, there was a grocery store shooting in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York followed by a shooting in an Asian church in Orange County.

The last few years have been uniquely trying, but what happened on Tuesday feels impossible to process, bringing perhaps for all of us a sense of heartbreak, helplessness, and rage. We are collectively mourning the precious lives senselessly lost, and thinking of the families who are grieving. It feels then, as a community of educators who have devoted our lives to the well-being of young people, important to say we stand in solidarity against violence and bigotry, and that we remain rooted in our collective call for equity, justice, and reform for our children and families as well as this nation.

We also share this LA Times article offering resources on how to speak with our scholars, including guidelines from the National Association of School Psychologists. Connection can be such a source of strength in these moments, and we feel lucky to be connected to all of you.