Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is on board with the Trump administration's plan to train and arm teachers and school staff — though she isn't sure of how the specifics should shake out.
In an appearance on NBC's Today on Monday morning, DeVos addressed the White House's plan to provide funding for states that choose to train teachers and school personnel to carry firearms on campus. DeVos was specifically asked about President Trump's previous suggestion that between 10 and 40 percent of school staff could qualify for this type of program.
"I don't have a percentage," DeVos said. "It should only be those capable and qualified and only in places where it's appropriate. ... The point is that schools should have this tool if they choose to use the tool."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
DeVos, who was assigned to lead a commission to prevent school violence, said that it wouldn't be necessary to assign a gun to every classroom or every grade and added that the program shouldn't be mandated. She also suggested that the administration's views could change: "Everything is on the table" in negotiations, she told NBC's Savannah Guthrie.
DeVos has been facing sharp criticism for struggling to answer simple education policy questions in a Sunday night 60 Minutes interview. Her vague answers and inability to defend her beliefs in TV appearances Sunday and Monday alarmed even White House officials, reports CNN.
-
7 mountain hotels perfect for a tranquil autumn or winter escapeThe Week Recommends Get (altitude) high and unwind
-
‘Deskilling’: a dangerous side effect of AI useThe explainer Workers are increasingly reliant on the new technology
-
The biggest sports betting scandals in historyIn Depth The recent indictments of professional athletes were the latest in a long line of scandals
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
