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Gun violence discussion

Using curriculum on the issue
New York Teacher
A woman at the front of a class speaks to participants who are sitting down
Jonathan Fickies

Education activist Amina Brown discusses her research on gun violence and teacher-led efforts to respond to it through curriculum. 

Along with police officers and EMTs, teachers must deal with gun violence and its aftermath, and they should have the opportunity and the time to develop meaningful curriculum around the issue, education activist Amina Brown said at a UFT-sponsored community discussion. “While everyone is important in this work, teachers are especially important because of the roles that they play in the lives of children and their families,” said Brown, the founder and director of the Washington-based Center for Community Turnaround and a University of Pennsylvania doctoral student. She worked with early childhood educators in Washington, D.C., to develop such curriculum. Nearly 80 UFT members, community members and city education officials attended the Feb. 16 event at the UFT’s Brooklyn borough office or on Zoom. “Every day in New York City, students and communities deal with the trauma of gun violence, so we need to think about how we’re going to address the problem and involve all the voices in mitigating the impact,” said Bill Woodruff, the UFT District 7 representative and an event organizer.