For Immediate Release May 26, 2022
Contacts: Tony Pals, tpals@aera.net (202) 238-3235
Marla Koenigsknecht, mkoenigsknecht@aera.net (202) 238-3233
Statement by AERA President Rich Milner and Executive Director Felice J. Levine on the School Massacre in Texas
May 26, 2022
The American Educational Research Association extends its condolences and grieves with those who suffered loss from the senseless murders of children and teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. This horrific act of violence is the latest in an incomprehensible wave of shootings that has taken far too many innocent lives. It is past time for our nation’s leaders to take action to stop the affliction of gun violence in American society.
It has just been over a week since we were compelled to speak out about the terrible racist slaughter of Black people and others in Buffalo, New York. Now another individual with ready access to guns has committed a horrendous massacre that further cuts at our collective sense of community, safety, and justice.
We stand committed and ready to support communities, families, parents, educators, policymakers, and young people in the fight for our individual and collective lives. In our statement on May 16, we called for the establishment of a federal blue-ribbon commission or high-level task force that brings together experts from relevant scientific and professional fields, including education research, mental health, criminal justice, and others, to develop short- and long-term actionable steps. We also indicated that AERA would hold a series of virtual discussions with experts across the disciplines of education to assist researchers as they build robust research agendas to address such violence, and to aid education policymakers and practitioners as they support young people, families, and communities during these challenging times.
Taking immediate steps at a national level and closer to home is long overdue. In light of the rapid and virulent repeat of such traumatic events, doing so now remains a compelling priority.
Simply put, no student should ever fear going to school. No one should worry about a routine trip to the supermarket. This violence and terror must end.
###
About AERA The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.