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Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wants to put guns in schools, and she wants to use money intended to boost education in the poorest schools to do it. DeVos is considering the move just months after the Republican-controlled Congress passed a school safety funding bill that specifically did not fund guns in schools.
It’s pretty much peak Trump administration to consider taking money away from educating low-income students—money intended for “providing a well-rounded education, improving school conditions for learning and improving the use of technology for digital literacy”—to pay for guns that the vast majority of teachers don’t want.
In its research, the Education Department has determined that the gun purchases could fall under improving school conditions, people familiar with the department’s thinking said. Under the current guidelines for that part of the grant, the department encourages schools to increase access to mental health counseling, establish dropout prevention programs, reduce suspensions and expulsions and improve re-entry programs for students transitioning from the juvenile justice system.
Pause to consider that: They want to put guns in schools rather than paying for mental health counseling and helping students adjust to school after being imprisoned.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) has quickly filed an amendment to prohibit the Education Department from buying guns for teachers.