UnitED For Florida Children

United for Florida Children was founded four years ago with the goal of uniting parents, grandparents, school staff, students and the community to advocate for a high quality education for all students across the state. At the very foundation of a high quality education lies basic safety.

We are deeply saddened by the shootings that occurred at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, FL on February 14. We can’t begin to imagine how the families affected by this tragedy are feeling, or how they are coping. Our hearts truly go out to them, as we extend our prayers, compassion and concern.

Our sadness is only rivaled by our anger. What happened to this school community is incomprehensible.

It’s unthinkable.

It’s unacceptable.

It makes us all worry for the safety of our schools and our children.

We cannot and will not allow this to happen anymore. We demand that our legislators address the root causes of tragedies such as these. We demand stricter gun control. We demand more funding for mental health support, both inside and outside of schools. We demand more school Guidance Counselors, more School Resource Officers, and more Behavior Resource Coaches to our kids who really need it. We demand that teachers be allowed time to address issues that arise with students before they escalate, rather than consuming their time with inappropriate standards and excessive testing.

We applaud the teachers and school staff at Douglas High, and recognize teachers as the true first responders in this tragedy. Their bravery is truly remarkable.

We will not stand for this any longer. Not one more student. Not one more teacher. Not one more family. Not one more school.

United for Florida Children is working with other advocacy groups across the state and on a national level to demand and end to the violence. Stay tuned for more information about how you can join our efforts. If you want to do something now, you can find contact information for your legislators here. Share with them how you feel, and hold them accountable for change.