The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Survey finds wide opposition among parents to arming teachers

July 17, 2018 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

Most parents express scant enthusiasm for arming schoolteachers, preferring metal detectors and mental-health screening as tools to keep students safe, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Asked to choose between two potential ways of addressing school safety, 76 percent of all adults and 71 percent of parents of school-age children preferred mental-health services for students over armed guards in schools.