The statement below is given by Dr. Anne Clark, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools, a non-profit organization focused on providing high-quality options for Pennsylvania families within K-12 public education.
“Yesterday in Uvalde, Texas, a senseless, heartless, and unconscionable act of violence was committed at the Robb Elementary School that took the precious lives of 19 school children and 2 educators. This is the deadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012.
My heart breaks for the Uvalde community, the lives taken so violently, and the families. My thoughts and prayers are with the students, parents, families, and community at this time. This tragedy comes days after 10 people were killed and 3 others wounded in a mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York supermarket.
I am also thinking about our Pennsylvania families and schools. No one can rationalize why these tragedies keep happening. It’s scary for me to think about as a seasoned educator, mother, and grandmother, let alone our most precious and important members of our society: our students.
Please reach out to me or my staff any time if you need anything during this time or if you may have a crisis in the future. Go here to find resources, research, organizations, etc. to support and help students, staff, and communities in the aftermath of a school tragedy.
PCPCS stands ready to support our Pennsylvania public charter school community during this time and in the months and years ahead.”
About PCPCS: The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS) is the state’s largest and most active organization advocating for both brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools. Pennsylvania has over 170 public charter schools that educate close to 170,000 students, with thousands more on wait lists across the Keystone State looking forward to future enrollment. For more information on PCPCS or public charter schools, visit www.pacharters.org.
