Arming Teachers as a Response to School Shootings [March 13, 2018]   [open pdf - 135KB]

"In the wake of the February 14, 2018, shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, President Trump endorsed a proposal to arm teachers as a way to potentially thwart school shootings. The President's endorsement has generated debate about whether this policy option would make schools safer. Proponents argue that arming educators provides a deterrent effect and that armed teachers could respond to an active shooter quicker than police. Opponents argue that teachers do not want the responsibility of countering active shooters; they raise questions about whether teachers can receive enough training to make them effective in an active shooter situation; and they argue that allowing firearms on school grounds could create other problems, such as police mistaking armed school personnel for assailants."