WHEREAS, since the school shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, there have been numerous other school shootings that have claimed scores of young lives; and
WHEREAS, this nation remains in the grip of an epidemic of gun violence that claims thousands of young lives off school grounds each year; and
WHEREAS, this nation’s epidemic of gun violence on and off school grounds is at least partially caused by the widespread availability of guns and the proliferation of gun ownership in this country, with Americans making up about 4.4% of the world’s population but owning some 42% of the world’s guns; and
WHEREAS, no evidence exists that shows that incentivizing or arming administrators, teachers and staff in their schools would decrease or prevent acts of gun violence in schools; and
WHEREAS, the American Federation of School Administrators and other experts believe that providing schools with additional resources to plan for the possibility of acts of gun violence, coordinate with law enforcement and secure their buildings from intruders are viable options to deter and prevent school gun violence incidents; and
WHEREAS, the American Federation of School Administrators believes further that additional mental health counselors, psychologists and social workers are needed to identify and work with students showing warning signs for depression and violence; and
WHEREAS, the American Federation of School Administrators believes further that current national efforts to collect data on gun violence and gun ownership are inadequate to monitor, understand or prevent future gun violence;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Federation of School Administrators stands with all its locals and the nation in demanding effective and comprehensive action from the federal government to protect schoolchildren; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Federation of School Administrators supports a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, purchase, possession and use of all semiautomatic weapons and large-capacity ammunition cartridges, except those needed by the military and law enforcement; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Federation of School Administrators supports the enactment of a federal law strengthening universal background checks to possess any type of firearm, including closing the so-called gun show loophole; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Federation of School Administrators will oppose any federal, state or local law or regulation that requires or incentivizes the arming of school administrators to protect schools and children; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Federation of School Administrators calls on the federal government to appropriate adequate new funds to allow school districts to plan and coordinate school security efforts with law enforcement officials that may be necessary to protect students, teachers and administrators and all other staff; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Federation of School Administrators calls on the federal government to appropriate adequate new funds to increase the number of counselors, mental health staff, psychologists and social workers in our schools; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA will continue our work with Congress, state and local school boards, and governments to advocate for school safety measures that protect students and staff without compromising the welcoming nature of our schools; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA will continue our work with Congress, state and local school boards, and governments to advocate for increased investments in mental health services, crisis intervention programs, and supports that address the root causes of school violence; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA will continue our work with Congress, state and local school boards, and governments to advocate for sufficient funding to ensure that every school has an appropriate number of trained school safety agents or law enforcement personnel; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA will continue our work with Congress, state and local school boards, and governments to advocate for resources to upgrade physical safety infrastructure, technology, and emergency preparedness across all public schools to ensure that all school buildings maintain secured, locked entrances and exits, supplemented by modern electronic access control systems to monitor and regulate entry without impeding emergency response; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA will continue our work with Congress, state and local school boards, and governments to advocate for funding to support regular, comprehensive training of all school staff in safety procedures, threat assessment, crisis intervention, and emergency preparedness, and policies and practices that ensure all schools are equipped to prevent, respond to, and recover from emergencies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA will continue our work with Congress, state and local school boards, and governments to advocate for development of parent and community education programs on school safety protocols, emphasizing the shared responsibility for maintaining safe learning environments and the necessity of respecting school leadership authority; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA will continue our work with Congress, state and local school boards, and governments to advocate for training and policy development that emphasizes collaboration between school leaders, safety personnel, staff, parents, and community leaders to implement comprehensive, student-centered safety plans.