Is Arming Teachers Practical?

[Elderberry]

Powerline 6/2/2023

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/06/is-arming-teachers-practical.php

The Rand Corporation conducted a nationwide survey of nearly 1,000 teachers, which is reported on by Catrin Wigfall. Most teachers are liberals these days–no surprise, given the far-left orientation of universities’ education programs and the teachers’ unions. So 54% of Rand’s respondents said they thought arming teachers would make schools less safe.

When asked whether they would choose to carry a firearm if their school implemented a program where teachers could be armed, 19 percent of teachers overall said yes. Although a clear minority, this share nevertheless translates into roughly 550,000 teachers nationally with interest in personally carrying firearms.

If a “shooter” hungry for media glory thought that one teacher in five was carrying a gun, he most likely would go somewhere other than a school to carry out his rampage. I conclude that arming teachers is an eminently practical–and virtually cost-free–way to deter school shootings.

[PeteS in CA]

Whatever their exact motive, would-be shooters are risk-averse. The recent Trans-shooter chose Covenant because she knew their security was lacking. Had she known one in five or six staff at the school would be armed, she would have picked a softer target.