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Solutions

Stop Arming Teachers

Stop Arming Teachers

What does this 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.

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.

33 states have adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Alabama has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Alaska has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Arizona has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

If not, who is allowed to carry under state law?
Permit holders aged 19 or older

No Guns in K-12 Schools

California has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Colorado has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Connecticut has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Delaware has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Florida has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Georgia has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Hawaii has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Idaho has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Illinois has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Indiana has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Iowa has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Kansas has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Kentucky has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Louisiana has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Maine has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Maryland has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Michigan has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Minnesota has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Missouri has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Montana has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Nebraska has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Nevada has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

New Jersey has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

New Mexico has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

New York has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

North Carolina has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Oregon has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Pennsylvania has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

South Carolina has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Texas has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Utah has not adopted this policy

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

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Vermont has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Virginia has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Washington has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

West Virginia has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Wisconsin has adopted this policy

No Guns in K-12 Schools

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

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

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

Myth & Fact

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, even sporting events. 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.

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Stop Arming Teachers