Joint Statement by AERA President William G. Tierney and Executive Director
Felice J. Levine on the Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School

Washington, DC —The American Educational Research Association (AERA) extends its profound sympathy to the families, friends, and community of Newtown, Connecticut in the wake of the senseless killings of 20 young children and six educators committed to supporting and nurturing children's lives. There are no words that can provide adequate solace at times of such great grief, especially to the families of the victims and to the surviving children and school staffs.

Schools–from kindergarten through college–are environments that are intended to be safe havens to support and nurture students' substantive, social, and civic learning. Once again, an educative environment has been the focus of violence. AERA mourns the horrific loss of students, teachers, school leaders, and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School. We hope, in the days and months ahead, that the leadership from various sectors of society can learn from these tragic events and build upon relevant research to promote programs and policies to reduce the risk of violence.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the national interdisciplinary research association for approximately 25,000 scholars who undertake research in education. Founded in 1916, AERA aims to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.

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