I definitely do NOT think the district should allow staff (including teachers) to carry guns into the school. NRA (and their advocates such as Board Members Carney and Joyce) are wrong to think more guns are the answer. Even Gualtieri in his presentation said arming staff will not prevent a child from getting shot. To keep guns out of the school is what is necessary. DCPS already has a number of prevention procedures that Parkland didn’t use. The school has its own police force that routinely checks to make sure school doors are locked so unauthorized people can’t enter. Gualtieri said in his city, the city’s police budget helps fund security for the schools. Would JSO fund metal detectors for every district-run and charter school? One thing Gualtieri emphasized was “see something, say something.” If you hear a student threatening, report it. Here’s the safety protocols for the district-run schools:
https://dcps.duvalschools.org/Page/23656
If your child attends a charter school, ask the charter school governing board for their safety protocols. Each charter school governing board can make its own decision about staff carrying guns into the schools. And if the charter school allows it and that bothers you, transfer your child out. District-run schools do have a uniformed officer, at every school, whose only job is school safety. The armed uniformed school safety officer needs extensive training to be able to properly react under pressure. I’d like the required training to be increased.
References:
Armed adults frequently mishandle their guns in schools. Keeping kids safe means keeping guns off K-12 campuses.
https://giffords.org/report/every-incident-of-mishandled-guns-in-schools/
The most effective physical security measures—the ones on which most experts agree—are access control measures that keep shooters out of schools in the first place.
https://everytownresearch.org/report/how-to-stop-shootings-and-gun-violence-in-schools/
Unite Us Do Not Divide Us 