Survivor Stories: Kiki Leyba Columbine HS tragedy survivor teacher, Teachers Unify Crisis Intervention & Support Team founding member, and TU Ambassador shares his journey of advocacy and support.

Tomorrow marks 27 years since the tragedy at Columbine HS. 🎧 to Kiki Leyba’s story & journey — a teacher survivor of the tragedy who’s helped many educators, school staff & students move forward after the impact of gun violence. ❤️‍🩹☮️📓📚
teachersunify.substack.com/p/survivor-s...

This episode features Kiki Leyba, Columbine teacher-survivor & Teachers Unify Ambassador. He shares his experience from April 20, 1999, the work he’s done in the survivor space and more. @teachersunify.bsky.social teachersunify.transistor.fm/60

As a teacher who has lost students to gun violence, an aunt of young kids, and a long-time advocate with groups like @teachersunify.bsky.social, @everytown.org, and @momsdemandaction.org, every time this happens to our children, it hurts my heart and spirit.

Pauls Valley shooting suspect goes before judge; What court documents reveal Court documents said the suspect, Victor Hawkins told investigators he wanted to "conduct a shooting like Columbine."

“… took two guns from his father’s closet.”

Secure firearm storage prevents trauma, injury, death. This should be the narrative coming out of this tragedy.

www.newson6.com/tulsa-oklaho...

Our hearts are with the entire Pauls Valley High School community in Oklahoma. #BookshotBullets #EndGunViolence @teachersunify

Students, faculty, and staff should be safe from the fear, trauma, and impact of gun violence.

The Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Crisis Intervention and Support team is here to help — you don’t have to go through this alone! Call 203-296-3689 or email response@teachersunify.org.

💔📓☮️📚❤️‍🩹

Voices for Change: Katherine White & Feel Good Action Katherine, Teen Civic Action & Partnership Manager at Feel Good Action, explains the importance of National Preregistration Day & the vital role of educators in civic action.

Check out our latest @teachersunifypc.bsky.social episode on our Substack (& subscribe!). Learn about what our partners @feelgoodaction.bsky.social are doing to mobilize the next generation. National Preregistration Day is 4/28. Click to access their Educator Toolkit! ☮️📚📓

March 2026 Update! No Teacher Left Behind

Our latest newsletter is a powerful reflection of what educators, school staff & allies can do when we come together with purpose & care! From advocacy to solidarity, it’s a reminder that educator voices matter & are making an impact. ☮️📚📓
open.substack.com/pub/teachers...

REGISTER NOW COMMUNITY MEETING 4/29/2026 Join us at 7:00 EST in Zoom Our April Community Meeting will feature retired teachers advocating for safe storage from Teachers Unify Ithaca! Featured Guest: TEACHERS UNIFY TO END

Join us for our April Community Meeting! This month’s virtual gathering features Teachers Unify Ithaca chapter leaders who will discuss their efforts in persuading their local school district to disseminate secure firearm storage information. ☮️📚📓

Sign up here: shorturl.at/0cs69

Statement in response to the tragic shooting at Hill Country College Preparatory High School. "Our hearts break for the teachers, students, parents, staff, and entire Bulverde community. No one should be shot or traumatized at school. The impact of this tragedy will be deep and long-lasting." TEACHERS UNIFY TO END GUN VIOLENCE

Schools should be safe from gun violence! The Teachers Unify Crisis Intervention team is available to all teachers or staff — it’s led by teachers who are survivors of gun violence & clinicians experienced in trauma. 203-296-3689 & response@teachersunify.org. No one should go through this alone…💔☮️📚📓

School crisis drills in CT get rules and standards with new law School crisis drills until now have been developed and implemented on a district-by-district basis with few explicit guidelines in CT law.

“This forward-looking legislation could be a model for what more states are doing to keep students and staff safe in schools, both physically and mentally…in a country that refuses to get a handle on this public health crisis,” Abbey Clements,Teachers Unify ctmirror.org/2026/03/27/s... @ctmirror.org

Our hearts are with the entire Hill Country College Preparatory High School community. Our Crisis Intervention & Support Team is here to help. 203-296-3689 & response@teachersunify.org. You are not alone. ☮️📓📚💔

Mass Shootings Continue to Haunt Classrooms—Will the Educators Ever Be All Right? A growing group of survivors must contend with the deep, emotional impact such an event has on their lives.

Thank you @abbeyclements.bsky.social, former Sandy Hook educator and @teachersunify.bsky.social founder, for sharing the lasting impact of gun violence on our schools and communities. Our students and educators deserve safety, not trauma. www.marieclaire.com/politics/tea...

This Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting @teachersunify.bsky.social, founded by educators ensuring teachers are part of the conversation on gun violence prevention.

Learn more and take action:
feelgoodaction.org/take-action

#WomensHistoryMonth #TeachersUnify #Teachers #GunViolencePrevention

Teachers can play a critical role in gun violence prevention—get involved today with @teachersunify.bsky.social.

School crisis drills in CT get rules and standards with new law School crisis drills until now have been developed and implemented on a district-by-district basis with few explicit guidelines in CT law.

“We have to expect teachers to be flexible and to do the very best we can in a country that refuses to get a handle on this public health crisis.” #Enough @aftteach.bsky.social @teachersunify.bsky.social @abbeyclements.bsky.social

marie claire "The timeline for healing is long, idiosyncratic, complicated, and it rarely, if ever, matches up to the timeline for things to get back to 'normal.' For some, it can take years to realize they even need help, initially feeling too overwhelmed or numb to feel their pain." TEACHERS

Marie Claire Magazine, March 2026, No Teacher Left Behind: Mass shootings happen in classrooms at alarming rates. Will the educators ever be alright?

www.marieclaire.com/politics/tea...

#BooksNotBullets
#EndGunViolence
☮️📓📚❤️‍🩹

marie claire "...while many people's hearts are in the right place, it's not unusual for teachers to find themselves in situations where they don't get the support they need. Resources aren't always timely, effective, or sustainable, leaving educators to navigate a patchwork system of aid, all while being tasked with managing the recovery of those around them, like students and parents—often before they're ready."

Marie Claire Magazine, March 2026, No Teacher Left Behind: Mass shootings happen in classrooms at alarming rates. Will the educators ever be alright? www.marieclaire.com/politics/tea...

marie claire "A July 2021 study.. found that only 17 percent reported that their school had a trauma plan in place to help teachers as it relates to school shootings. The same study noted that while teachers felt there were often services put in place for students, the same was not true for educators. Even as the trauma preys on them, too. They are not absolved of it." TEACHERS

Marie Claire Magazine, March 2026, No Teacher Left Behind: Mass shootings happen in classrooms at alarming rates. Will the educators ever be alright? www.marieclaire.com/politics/tea...

Mass Shootings Continue to Haunt Classrooms—Will the Educators Ever Be All Right? A growing group of survivors must contend with the deep, emotional impact such an event has on their lives.

We’re so proud of @teachersunify.bsky.social founder @abbeyclements.bsky.social for her tireless work to keep schools safe and welcoming for students as gun violence continues to impact classrooms across the country.

Read more in Marie Claire Magazine ⤵️

Mass Shootings Continue to Haunt Classrooms—Will the Educators Ever Be All Right? A growing group of survivors must contend with the deep, emotional impact such an event has on their lives.

Grateful for this piece that takes a close look at what led us to form the Teachers Unify Crisis Intervention Team. We’re so proud of this team — turning our experiences into action that can help the next generation of teachers, school staff, and students.
☮️📚📓❤️‍🩹

www.marieclaire.com/politics/tea...

I’m a cofounder of @teachersunify.bsky.social & I host @teachersunifypc.bsky.social. This is a shameless request for donations & your generosity to help amplify educator voices in the GVP space. Whatever you can give is greatly appreciated. secure.actblue.com/donate/sarah...

PROTECT OUR SCHOOLS PM Students and Educators United for Safe Schools RALLY! Thursday, March 12, 9:00am Minnesota State Capitol Steps

Proud to join students and educators at the Minnesota State Capitol Steps on Thursday, March 12th! We stand with Minnesota! ❤️‍🩹☮️📓📚

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY Teachers Unify

On International Women’s Day, we honor the women who make up the heart of our schools (about 75% of teachers are women!). Every day they teach, guide, comfort, and lead — all while carrying the weight of keeping students safe and helping them navigate the fear and impact of gun violence. ☮️📚📓

Lockdowns and community violence are reshaping our schools. March 24, 3:00 PM EDT, Register for this webinar & support student & educator mental health in the face of repeated exposure to gun violence sharemylesson.com/webinars/gun-violence-sc... @teachersunify.bsky.social

Statement Following the Conviction of the Apalachee High School Shooter's Father "This conviction sends an important message to parents everywhere: secure your firearms and keep them inaccessible. You can prevent the next tragedy. And you can protect yourself from being held responsible."

Our hearts are with the survivors and all impacted by the tragedy on September 4, 2024.

#SecureStorageSavesLives
#BooksNotBullets
#EndGunViolence

☮️📓📚💔❤️‍🩹

Women's History Month March is an annual opportunity to honor the achievements of women past and present

March is Women’s History Month. Below are some recent Armed with Reason posts by or about women who are doing amazing work in the gun violence prevention field.
#WomensHistoryMonth #GVP @teachersunify.bsky.social #SurvivorStories

February 2026 Newsletter

Our February newsletter is out!
Gun violence impacts school communities every day, often without national headlines. We support educators on the front lines, build community, elevate vital voices, and push for a seat at the table and real solutions. Join us! ☮️📓📚❤️‍🩹 shorturl.at/Baefw

#edusky #educoach join Teachers Unify for connection and community as we work to collectively reduce the impacts of gun violence in our school communities

Statement in response to the Pawtucket, RI Ice Rink Shooting "Our hearts are with all impacted by this senseless act of violence and the entire Pawtucket community on a night meant to be celebratory. This trauma has impacted several school communities. In the aftermath, it's important to commit to supporting the educators and school staff who will be instrumental in holding these communities together."

Sending strength to all the school communities impacted by this tragedy.

Our Crisis Intervention and Support Team is here. It’s ok to ask for help — response@teachersunify.org and (203) 296-3689.

❤️‍🩹☮️📓📚

LUNCH AND LEARN TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24™H 12:00 PM FOCUSING ON EDUCATORS: A CONVERSATION WITH ABBEY CLEMENTS OF TEACHERS UNIFY Join us for a discussion about the impact of gun violence on American schools and universities, and how educators can take action to prevent gun violence today. REGISTER TODAY

MEET THE SPEAKER ABBEY CLEMENTS Abbey Clements is the Executive Director and CoFounder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence and was an elementary teacher for 32 years. She and her then-2nd graders are survivors of the Sandy Hook School tragedy on 12/14/12. Since that fateful day, Abbey has been a gun violence prevention activist. She is a strategic consultant on gun violence issues for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and a member of the ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence National Advisory Council REGISTER TODAY

Join us for a Lunch & Learn with MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence on 2/24 at noon EST! Hear about the vital voices of educators and how we can help prevent and respond to tragedies. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... ☮️📓