U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Says States Should Arm Teachers As A Way To Protect Schools

Lesley Stahl of CBS has interviewed U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for the TV show 60 Minutes, and in the interview DeVos makes clear she is following the president’s lead when it comes to the best way to protect schoolchildren from mass murder.  As with President Trump, DeVos’s answer is: “More Guns in Schools.”

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During the interview DeVos states her opinion that arming and training teachers to shoot is “one solution” to the horrific, bloody school shootings that have become almost commonplace in the United States.

“Armed teachers should be an option for states and communities to consider,” DeVos tells Stahl. “The guns wouldn’t be for every teacher, but for those who are capable, this is one solution that can and should be considered… every state and every community is going to address this issue in a different way.”

She also said that only “teachers capable of handling a gun should be considered for carrying arms to defend their students.” She made clear that she could not imagine a young elementary school teacher having a gun.

In addition to her views on arming teachers in schools, during the interview DeVos also discusses her advocacy of school choice. She has been severely criticized for this position because it is seen as a way to privatize the country’s public schools, and take away needed funding.

DeVos’ interview will be broadcast approximately one month after the shocking mass murder at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. which left 17 people dead and 14 others injured.

Stahl’s interview with DeVos will be on 60 Minutes this Sunday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

In other but related news, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) on Friday signed into law a measure that would allow some school employees to carry concealed handguns.  This new Florida law will institute a voluntary training program and impose a three-day waiting period on purchases of long guns. It also raises the minimum age of buying a firearm in Florida from 18 to 21.

Leo Vidal

I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.