Friend, 

Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in Pennsylvania,¹ so the very last place we need more guns is in our childrens’ classrooms. Yet Senator Doug Mastriano plans to again introduce a reckless and extreme bill that would allow PA teachers to be armed in schools.² We need everyone to come together to defeat this dangerous bill.

Tell your State Senator not to co-sponsor the bill and to vocally oppose it! Then follow up with a phone call to their office to significantly increase your advocacy impact.

Arming teachers and school staff is NOT the answer. 

Research tells us that teachers who are armed are more likely to shoot a student bystander unintentionally or be shot by a police officer responding to the scene than to be useful in resolving an active shooter situation.³ We also know arming teachers will give students access to guns in the classroom. And then the risk of school shootings increases⁴ — like in the Cumberland Valley Christian School incident, where a teacher left her loaded gun in a bathroom and it was found by students.⁵ Thankfully no one was injured, but it could have had a deadly outcome.

School experts such as the Pennsylvania State Education Association⁶ and the National Association of School Resource Officers⁷ all oppose arming teachers.

To keep our kids and educators safe, we need to use evidence-based policies like safe storage to stop guns from getting into the hands of potential school shooters — not traumatize our children and put them in harm’s way.

Contact your State Senator today. Our kids are counting on you.

Sincerely, 

Adam Garber

Executive Director

CeaseFirePA Action

¹https://www.ceasefirepa.org/issues/#:~:text=Firearms%20are%20leading%20cause%20of,they%20live%2C%20play%20and%20learn

²https://www.abc27.com/pennsylvania-politics/mastriano-bill-would-allow-pennsylvania-teachers-to-be-armed-on-campus/#:~:text=(WHTM)%20%E2%80%93%20Pennsylvania%20State%20Senator,be%20armed%20on%20school%20property

³https://everytownresearch.org/report/arming-teachers-introduces-new-risks-into-schools/?_gl=1*1oc2ydp*_ga*odm1mda5mdy3lje2nta4ndu3njy.*_ga_lt0fwv3ek3*mty1ntm5nty2nc42ljeumty1ntm5nzmwoc4w

⁴https://everytownresearch.org/report/arming-teachers-introduces-new-risks-into-schools/?_gl=1*1oc2ydp*_ga*odm1mda5mdy3lje2nta4ndu3njy.*_ga_lt0fwv3ek3*mty1ntm5nty2nc42ljeumty1ntm5nzmwoc4w

⁵https://www.publicopiniononline.com/story/news/2016/09/12/teacher-resigns-after-child-finds-her-loaded-gun-school/90280916/ 

^{6https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/06/pa-teachers-union-pushes-back-against-lawmakers-proposal-to-allow-school-employees-to-be-armed.html}

⁷https://everytownresearch.org/report/arming-teachers-introduces-new-risks-into-schools/?_gl=1*1oc2ydp*_ga*odm1mda5mdy3lje2nta4ndu3njy.*_ga_lt0fwv3ek3*mty1ntm5nty2nc42ljeumty1ntm5nzmwoc4w

CeaseFirePA
P.O. Box 60095
Philadelphia, PA 19102
United States

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