With shock and stunned sadness, the nation learned yesterday of yet another mass shooting—this time, heartbreakingly, at an elementary school. The massacre of 19 innocent, treasured children and two beloved educators in Uvalde, Texas is almost beyond comprehension.

How have we reached this point? It is a given that for students to learn, schools must be safe places for them to explore, take risks, ask questions, formulate answers, and feel joy. It is a national travesty that America’s schools are not safe from gun violence, and that dedicated educators, who make so many sacrifices for their children, now routinely worry about how they might protect their students and themselves from a heavily armed active shooter.

The Carnegie Foundation calls upon policymakers to take action and make changes to how people gain access to weapons that kill children and teachers. We call on ourselves and our partners to stand with the parents, teachers and young people who just want to be safe in schools. We demand action. We demand better.