Teachers Unify bridges the gap between the education and gun violence prevention spaces by communicating the realities of gun violence in our schools and communities.
TEACHERS
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LITERARY SPECIALISTS
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SCHOOL COUNSELORS
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MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
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SUPPORT PERSONNEL
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SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
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LIBRARIANS
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COACHES
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SCHOOL NURSES
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FAMILIES
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UNION STAFF
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CONSULTANTS
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TUTORS
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STUDENTS
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SURVIVORS
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COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS
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SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS
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RETIREES
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CURRICULUM SPECIALISTS
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SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
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TEACHERS // LITERARY SPECIALISTS // SCHOOL COUNSELORS // MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS // SUPPORT PERSONNEL // SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS // LIBRARIANS // COACHES // SCHOOL NURSES // FAMILIES // UNION STAFF // CONSULTANTS // TUTORS // STUDENTS // SURVIVORS // COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS // SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS // RETIREES // CURRICULUM SPECIALISTS // SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS //
WHO WE ARE
Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence is a grassroots movement of educators and school staff across America who are raising their voices to demand safety from gun violence in our communities. By “educators” we mean all school folks current/retired/former who support, guide, teach children, and keep them safe.
Teachers Unify was founded in the wake of the Oxford High School shooting in Michigan on November 30, 2021 by three public school teachers and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) members: Abbey Clements, Sarah Lerner, and Sari Beth Rosenberg. Two of the co-founders survived two of the worst of America’s school shootings – Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, CT, in 2012 (Abbey) and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, FL, in 2018 (Sarah). With over 75 years of teaching experience among them, the founders intend Teachers Unify to fill a gap in the national dialogue around gun violence that has too long excluded teachers.
OUR STAFF AND BOARD
ABBEY CLEMENTS is the Executive Director, co-founder, and a Board member of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence. She is a survivor teacher of the Sandy Hook School tragedy in 2012, and an elementary educator for over 30 years. Clements has been a gun violence prevention activist since the tragedy, including as a Moms Demand Action volunteer leader (Deputy CT Chapter Leader, Survivor Fellow, National Training Team Lead, to name a few) and as a strategic consultant on gun violence issues for the AFT. She has been featured in various publications and documentaries, including Newtown, If I Don’t Make It, I Love You, Bullets Into Bells, Marie Claire, AFT Voices, and USA Today, among others.
KELLY CARMICHAEL BOOZ is our Board Secretary. She also directs the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) PreK-12 digital resources serving over 1.9 million educators on the AFT’s Share My Lesson, the AFT’s E-Learning professional development platform, and the production and dissemination of PreK-12 publication for the AFT’s 1.7 million members. Kelly currently serves on the Alexandria School Board in Alexandria, Virginia. She also on the Board of Directors for Virginia Civics, a non-profit empowering the next generation of leaders in Virginia. Previously, Kelly served as Director of Civic Education at James Madison’s Montpelier directing the Virginia We the People program, and as Manager of Teacher Programs at Alexandria’s Close Up Foundation.
ANTONIUS OKI WIRIADJAJA, a.k.a. Foodmasku, is a member of the Board and multimedia artist based in New York City. He is a former Fulbright U.S. Scholar in Indonesia and a professor of interactive media. The New York Times selected his account as one of “five art accounts to follow on Instagram now.” He has performed and exhibited internationally including recently at the Sharjah House of Wisdom, UAE, Miami Art Basel, and at SXSW in Austin, Texas. He survived a shooting one block away from his Brooklyn apartment in 2013 and has been an active gun violence prevention activist ever since.
SARAH LERNER is a co-founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence and a member of the Board of Directors. She is a survivor teacher of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy in 2018. Lerner began teaching in 2002 and came to MSD in 2014. Lerner was the editor of “Parkland Speaks,” and has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Marie Claire, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, PBS NewsHour Extra, and AFT Share My Lesson. She has appeared on MSNBC, HLN, CNN, PBS NewsHour, PBS Frontline, Good Morning Britain, and NPR/WLRN. She has been a keynote speaker for AFT, Council of Chief State School Officers, Florida Literary Association, Florida Association of Colleges for Teachers, and AFT Share My Lesson.
AMBER GOODWIN is a Teacher’s Unify Board Member. She’s the founder of the Community Justice Action Fund and the Community Justice Reform Coalition. Community Justice is the nation’s leading gun violence prevention organization working on policy, education, and building resources centered on communities of color. Amber has worked as a “serial” organizer for over twenty years on issues like health insurance reform, and voting rights, and was a union organizer for SEIU’s Justice for Janitors campaign. She was named to Washingtonian Magazine’s Most Influential List for 2022, the Root 100’s Most Influential African Americans in 2017, 2018 Essence Magazine’s “Woke 100”, and was a Next Gen Fellow with the University of Texas Strauss School for International Security and Law.
DR. BRE PEELER is our newest Board member. is a highly qualified education professional with a wealth of experience and a commitment to creating safe and supportive learning environments. Holding a Doctorate in School Improvement, she has consistently demonstrated leadership in various roles, including Head of School/Superintendent, Assistant Principal, and MTSS Coordinator. Dr. Peeler brings expertise in educational leadership, curriculum development, and teacher training, all through a data-driven approach. Her degree in Urban Teacher Leadership and diverse certifications in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Orton-Gillingham, and International Baccalaureate Administration showcase her commitment to holistic education.
SARI BETH ROSENBERG is a co-founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence and a member of the Board of Directors. She has been teaching U.S. History and AP U.S. History at a New York City public high school, the High School for Environmental Studies, for the past two decades and currently hosts the PBS NewsHour Classroom Educator Zoom Series. Rosenberg has been featured in various publications and multimedia platforms, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, The Progressive, A+E/Lifetime, Travel Channel, TheSkimm, PBS NewsHour & various popular podcasts. She is a Senior Advisor for Voters of Tomorrow and One Million of Us.
ASHLEI BLUE is a member of the Board and a passionate grassroots organizer. A native of Fayetteville NC and a UNC Charlotte alumna, Ashlei began as a campus volunteer with Obama for America in 2008. She has continued working in electoral politics across her home state where she currently serves as North Carolina State Director at America Votes. She focuses her work on defeating voter suppression and gerrymandering as well as uplifting qualified candidates and skilled staffers throughout the South. Ashlei has also provided consulting services through Blue Strategies NC and commits her skills to Southern campaigns and organizations. These experiences inform her training with organizations like Arena and statewide grassroots programs across the country.
AMBASSADORS AND ADVISORS
SYDNEY CHAFFEE, Teachers Unify Ambassador, is a 9th grade Humanities teacher and instructional coach at Codman Academy Charter Public School in Dorchester, MA. As 2017 National Teacher of the Year, she has spoken to audiences around the world about the limitless power of teachers and students to change the world. Sydney is a National Board Certified Teacher with a passion for helping diverse learners grow through authentic, relevant, interdisciplinary curricula.
KIKI LEBYA, Teachers Unify Ambassador, currently teaches at Columbine High School in Littleton, Co. He was a first year teacher when thirteen were killed and dozens were injured. During the next several years, Leyba mentored hundreds of students while privately battling PTSD symptoms and struggling to navigate the aftermath. Then in 2010, a gunman violated his son’s middle school. Supporting others traumatized by school violence became his calling. Drawing upon decades of experience, Kiki has helped many communities navigate the complex aftermath of campus violence and works to educate others about smart gun legislation, red flag laws, and mental health funding. In 2022, Leyba was recognized by the organization, Keep Guns Off Campus.
La-Shanda West, Teachers Unify Ambassador, is a survivor of gun violence who advocates for mental health, safe spaces, and violence prevention programs. She has taught secondary social studies for 21 years within the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system and currently serves as the iPrep Academy Leader and Cambridge Business Teacher at Cutler Bay Senior High. La-Shanda is a member of the School Advisory Committee for Sandy Hook Promise and National SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) where she has been supporting Youth Advisory Board members for the past five years. She believes one of the best ways to prevent violence is to engage teachers in the movement. Teachers are the builders of the community and can use their stories to change the narratives on guns and violence.
José Luis Vilson, Teachers Unify Senior Advisor, is a veteran educator, writer, speaker, and activist in New York City, NY. He is the author of This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education and the Executive Director of EduColor, an organization dedicated to race and social justice issues in education. He is currently a doctoral student studying sociology and education at Teachers College, Columbia University.
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The work we do would not be possible without our community. If you would like to support our mission, please consider getting involved by making a contribution, volunteering your time, partnering with us, or sharing your story.