Should Teachers be Armed?
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KEY SOURCES
Library of Congress
Federal Bureau of Investigation
CATO Institute
Brookings Institution
Center for American Progress
RAND Corporation
Center for Education Statistics
Florida State Senate
National Conference of State Legislatures
WHY THIS QUESTION MATTERS:
Following the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, 26 states across the country and the District of Columbia passed 67 bills to address gun violence. In May, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill that would expand a “school guardian” program to allow qualified teachers to carry guns in schools on a volunteer basis. The measure was signed into law by Florida’s governor on May 9th, 2019. Leaders from across the aisle are looking for ways to promote a safe environment for children to learn and grow. However, the approach to increasing safety and security in our schools is a fervently debated topic.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE BILL.
After the 2018 school shooting, the Florida legislature enacted the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. The legislation aimed to address school safety in numerous ways, including establishing the “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission”. The commission was tasked with investigating failures in the existing school safety systems and procedures. They submitted their initial report to Florida’s Governor and Legislature on January 2, 2019. The report included a wide range of recommendations to improve school safety – including the expansion of the “Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program.”
The Guardian Program in 2018: As of 2018, every school in Florida was required to have a school-safety officer who is armed and trained to defuse potentially violent situations on campus. The Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program was established to allow school staff to volunteer to fulfill the role of a school-safety officer. However, teachers were prohibited from participating in the program.
The Guardian Program Expansion in 2019: When the Public Safety Commission submitted their initial report in January, one of their key recommendations was to expand the eligibility of the guardian program to include teachers. In response, the “CS/CS/SB 7030: Implementation of Legislative Recommendations of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission” bill was signed into law on May 9th, 2019.
The law allows teachers to volunteer as school guardians if they meet the specific requirements and participate in training established by the county sheriff. These teachers would fulfill the role of school-safety officer and be allowed to carry guns on school campuses.
This law is fervently debated and an important component of a broad set of proposals under consideration to curb gun violence in schools.
LET’S PUT THIS DEBATE IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT.
Unfortunately, addressing violence in schools is a familiar topic. Congress first responded to growing gun violence in elementary and secondary schools with the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. The law prohibits most firearms within 1,000 feet of a school. A second Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 requires that any student found in possession of a firearm on school property be expelled for at least one year.
More recently, President Obama and President Trump have both responded to violent school tragedies by establishing task forces and recommending policy changes. After the Sandy Hook Elementary attack in 2012, President Obama established an anti-violence task force led by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Vice President Joe Biden. Similarly, President Trump established the Federal Commission on School Safety in response to the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Library of Congress outlines a history of key school safety programs from the 1970s to present day.
The results? According to the National Center for Education Statistics, between 2000 and 2017 there have been 37 active shooter incidents at elementary and secondary schools and 15 active shooter incidents at post-secondary schools. According to the Indicators of School Crime Safety report, “active shooter incidents are a rare occurrence and represent a small subset of the possible violent incidents that occur at schools. While rare, these events are of high concern to all those interested in the safety of our nation’s students.” The annual number of active shooter incidents at elementary and secondary schools ranged from 0 to 6 per year during this 2000 to 2017 time span.
Calls to allow teachers to carry weapons to address violent attacks have grown in popularity over the last decade. There are currently 14 states that already allow teachers to carry guns in schools. Florida just became the most recent state to approve this measure.
What do you think?
The Common Thread
Supporters and opponents of the bill both say they want to prioritize student safety at schools.
FIND YOUR Thread
Supporters argue that allowing teachers to carry guns will make schools MORE safe. Opponents argue that allowing teachers to carry guns will make schools LESS safe.
Yes, We Should Arm Teachers.
Reason 01
Armed teachers and staff would allow a quicker response when school attacks occur.
69% of all active shooter incidents end in 5 minutes or less. (FBI) Having someone on scene to respond immediately is critical to addressing the shooter.
Between 2000 and 2013, the majority of active shooter incidents in schools ended before the police arrived -- 46% ended through intervention by unarmed staff and students. (FBI)
Given the speed at which shooter incidents unfold, some studies have deemed it important to provide training and exercises for citizens (including teachers) as well as law enforcement. (FBI)
Reason 02
Arming teachers would deter potential shooters from attempting an attack in the first place.
“In other contexts, increasing security around potential targets would not be a controversial move. If a serial night burglar or rapist were stalking your neighborhood, the reasonable first response would be to secure your home.” Armed teachers could deter potential attackers like a house security system deters burglars. (CATO Institute)
*Caution: Several studies state that mass shootings are more likely to occur in “Gun-Free Zones” as they are seen as an “easier” target. Which implies that arming teachers in an otherwise “Gun-Free” school would deter potential attackers. However, these studies did not meet The Thread source criteria for transparency and credibility. See further explanation here.
Reason 03
Arming teachers would provide a more immediate and cost-effective solution to school violence.
Arming teachers provides immediate protection while longer term policy debates continue - such as mental health support and gun policies. (CATO Institute)
19 other states already allow teachers and staff to carry guns on campus if they’ve received permission from the school authority. (National Conference of State Legislatures)
No, We Should Not Arm Teachers.
Reason 01
Arming teachers is more likely to increase danger in schools than increase safety.
Greater access to guns in schools will likely increase lethal violence due to availability bias. We’d be increasing the risk of accidental and inappropriate weapon discharge on a regular basis in the name of protecting against very rare instances of active shooters. (Brookings Institution)
The National Education Association teacher union states that weapons wielded by teachers and staff may also add confusion for law enforcement who may not be able to differentiate an assailant from a teacher (NEA via Associated Press).
*Caution: Several studies claim that mass shootings are NOT more likely to occur in “Gun-Free Zones”. Which implies that arming teachers in an otherwise “Gun-Free” school would not deter potential attackers, and there is no correlation between an attacker’s selected target and its “Gun-Free” designation. However, these studies did not meet The Thread source criteria. See further explanation here.
Reason 02
Teachers are not security guards, and most don’t want to be.
Roughly two-thirds of teachers opposed introducing guns into the classroom. (Center for American Progress)
LA Police Department reported an average annual hit ratio of 33% from 2012 to 2016 (LAPD). If our trained officers miss their target roughly 70% of the time – how accurate will teachers be under duress?
Reason 03
Arming teachers would be extremely costly and funds would be better served elsewhere.
After the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy, Gov. Scott signed a bill that appropriated $67.5M to arm non-teaching staff in Florida. (Center for American Progress) Expanding this program to include teachers would require additional funding and resources.
Opponents argue that these funds would be better served bolstering mental health programs in schools and other preventative measures instead of arming teachers. (Brookings Institution)
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