Washington D.C. – We are inspired by our students, families and educators lifting their voices and demonstrating leadership around the critical need for meaningful measures to address the epidemic of gun violence. We stand with our students participating in nationwide March for Our Lives events and applaud their efforts to make their voices heard on this critical issue and demand solutions.
The issue of gun violence in our communities is not new. Students, particularly students of color and those who live and attend schools in urban settings have been victims of this menace for far too long. Every student deserves to feel safe on their way to and from school as well as in the classroom. The sad reality is that the scourge of violence in our communities as well as school shootings have created unease in a place that should nurture learning and inspire curiosity. Every single child has unlimited potential to be a brilliant student and succeed in life and it is our duty to help them achieve their goals by fostering a safe and supportive environment.
Earlier this month, we voiced our support for the Secure Our Schools Act and we called on Congress to take even bolder steps to stem the epidemic of gun violence that has infected our houses of worship, college campuses, our neighborhoods as well as our nation’s schools. We must do more, and the steps our students across the country are taking to promote a deeper conversation about gun violence are critical to the efforts to ensure the safety of all students.
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About Public Charter Schools
Public charter schools are independent, public, and tuition-free schools that are given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Since 2010, many research studies have found that students in charter schools do better in school than their traditional school peers. For example, one study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that charter schools do a better job teaching low income students, minority students, and students who are still learning English than traditional schools. Separate studies by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood.
About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit www.publiccharters.org.
