NSBA Executive Director and CEO Anna Maria Chávez issued the following statement before the General Session on Friday:

This is not how I hoped to begin day two of our annual conference, but I believe it is important to address the violence that once again filled our airwaves and newspapers.

Yesterday, a shooting in Texas left one dead and five wounded. Another shooting in South Carolina claimed six lives, including a 9-year-old and a 5-year-old.

For every shooting that makes national news, we know that so many more do not. For example, in NSBA’s home state of Virginia, a 15-year-old boy was killed in a shooting yesterday afternoon.

Far too many our children are victims of shootings. Many more are impacted when they lose family members or friends. Nearly all children are aware of these shootings, either through news and social media or their school’s active shooter drills, which have become an unwelcome necessity in today’s society.

We know the potential is great for children to suffer long-term psychological and emotional damage because of the horrifying levels of violence they witness.

We must protect the social, emotional, and mental health of our children—they are turning to parents, peers, family members, and teachers with questions that have no answers or explanations.

I don’t have a solution. I leave that to our policymakers who must take action.

But I wanted to speak today to you, our nation’s public school leaders. Every day you work hard to ensure that our nation’s school children have access to a good education. But, more and more, the challenges our students face go far beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic.

As we begin day two of our conference, I know you will do what you do best. You will seek light in the darkness. You will comfort and console. You will trudge forward with your students’ needs in your hearts and minds.

The last year has been very, very difficult for everyone. And, as our society begins to open back up and recover from COVID, I fear scenes like yesterday’s will become more commonplace.

As educators, it is your role to help students overcome whatever barriers or challenges they may face, both inside and outside of the classroom. NSBA is committed to ensuring that you receive the support and resources you need to help our students heal, learn, and flourish.

Before we begin today’s programming, I would like us to observe a moment of silence to remember and reflect on everyone who was taken from us far too soon. Not only yesterday, but over the last year, whether because of violence, COVID, or for whatever reason. Cherish that person’s name or those peoples’ faces in your heart. Remember the happy moments and know that they are proud of you for the work you are doing.