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Stop Arming Teachers

    Solutions

    Stop Arming Teachers

    What does it solve?

    To prevent tragedies we must implement strong school safety solutions, but arming teachers is not one of them. School shootings are chaotic and in these moments of chaos, we cannot ask teachers to stop a shooter, potentially a current or former student.

    Arming Teachers Introduces New Risks Into Schools Report

    Having guns in the classroom increases the likelihood that a student will access a gun and that someone will be shot outside of an active shooter incident. Schools are places for books and backpacks, not weapons. Instead, we need proven solutions that are backed by data, and that intervene before violence occurs.

      Which states don’t allow teachers or the general public to carry guns in K–12 schools?

      The states in white allow teachers or the general public to carry guns in K–12 schools, and those shaded in blue do not allow them to do so.

      AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

      Alabama has adopted this policy

      Alaska has adopted this policy

      Arizona has adopted this policy

      Arkansas has adopted this policy

      California has adopted this policy

      Colorado has adopted this policy

      Connecticut has adopted this policy

      Delaware has adopted this policy

      Florida has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School personnel

      Georgia has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School personnel

      Hawaii has adopted this policy

      Idaho has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School employees with permission

      Illinois has adopted this policy

      Indiana has adopted this policy

      Iowa has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School employees

      Kansas has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School personnel and any other permit holders

      Kentucky has adopted this policy

      Louisiana has adopted this policy

      Maine has adopted this policy

      Maryland has adopted this policy

      Massachusetts has adopted this policy

      Michigan has adopted this policy

      Minnesota has adopted this policy

      Mississippi has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      Any permit holders; School personnel

      Missouri has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School personnel

      Montana has adopted this policy

      Nebraska has adopted this policy

      Nevada has adopted this policy

      New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      Any permit holders

      New Jersey has adopted this policy

      New Mexico has adopted this policy

      New York has adopted this policy

      North Carolina has adopted this policy

      North Dakota has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School personnel

      Ohio has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      Individuals with written authorization of the board of education or governing body, including teachers

      Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School personnel

      Oregon has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      Any permit holders

      Pennsylvania has adopted this policy

      Rhode Island has adopted this policy

      South Carolina has adopted this policy

      South Dakota has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School personnel

      Tennessee has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School personnel

      Texas has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School personnel

      Utah has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      Any permit holders; teachers

      Vermont has adopted this policy

      Virginia has adopted this policy

      Washington has adopted this policy

      West Virginia has adopted this policy

      Wisconsin has adopted this policy

      Wyoming has not adopted this policy

      If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
      School personnel; Any permit holders

      Myth

      Armed teachers would keep schools safe.

      Fact

      There are good reasons why arming teachers is opposed by school safety experts, teachers, and law enforcement. First, when a gun is in the classroom, students can get access to it. There have been multiple incidents of students and teachers finding misplaced firearms: in bathrooms, locker rooms, and even sporting events.1 Kelly Drane, “Every Incident of Mishandled Guns in Schools,” Giffords Law Center, April 7, 2023, https://giffords.org/report/every-incident-of-mishandled-guns-in-schools/. The notion of a highly trained teacher armed with a gun, able to respond as quickly as trained law enforcement is a myth. Law enforcement officers receive hundreds of hours of training but in states that have laws to arm school personnel, school staff receive much less training.2Greg Toppo, “132 Hours To Train Teachers On Guns: Is It Enough?” USA Today, March 8, 2018, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/08/132-hours-train-teachers-guns-enough/408525002/.

      How it works

      Armed teachers are not the answer to school violence.

      There is a false idea that arming teachers and school staff will make our schools safe. In fact, an armed teacher cannot, in a moment of extreme duress and confusion, be expected to transform into a specially trained law enforcement officer. Even some of the most highly trained law enforcement officers in the country see their ability to shoot accurately decrease significantly when engaged in gunfights with perpetrators.1Bernard D. Rostker et al., “Evaluation of the New York City Police Department Firearm Training and Firearm-Discharge Review Process,” RAND Corporation, 2008, https://bit.ly/2U9bk0t. An armed teacher is more likely to impede responding law enforcement than to stop an active shooter in a school.2National Association of School Resource Officers, “NASRO Opposes Arming Teachers,” February 22, 2018, https://www.nasro.org/news/2018/02/22/news-releases/nasro-opposes-arming-teachers/.

      Our leaders should instead pursue evidence-based interventions, for example: Extreme Risk laws can stop people who show warning signs of danger to themselves or others from accessing and buying guns. Secure storage awareness can address the most common source of guns used in school gun violence—those taken from home. And schools can invest in mental health professionals and create crisis intervention programs that identify and intervene when a student is a risk to themselves or others.

      By the numbers

      Learn More

      Arming Teachers Introduces New Risks Into Schools Resource
      How To Stop Shootings and Gun Violence in Schools: A Plan to Keep Students Safe Resource
      Cómo detener los tiroteos y la violencia armada en las escuelas: Un plan para mantener seguros a los estudiantes Resource
      How Can We Prevent Gun Violence in American Schools? Resource
      The Impact of Active Shooter Drills in Schools Resource
      Gunfire on School Grounds in the United States Resource
      A Federal School Safety Agenda Resource
      The Danger of Guns on Campus Resource
      91%

      Did you know?

      91 percent of K-12 school shooters or would-be school shooters were students or former students.

      Jillian Peterson and James Densley, “School Shooters Usually Show These Signs of Distress Long before They Open Fire, Our Database Shows,” The Conversation, February 8, 2019, https://bit.ly/2vBTA3J.