President Trump’s commission on school safety proposes revoking a federal guideline directing schools not to punish minority students at higher rates, a policy that some Republicans and other activists feared has led schools to avoid punishing potentially violent students, the Wall Street Journal reports. The commission, formed after the school shooting Feb. 14 that killed 17 people in Parkland, Fl., largely sidesteps making any recommendations to tighten access to firearms, falling far short of what Democrats and education policy officials say is necessary to reduce gun-related violence. The report being released Tuesday recommends that states or school districts consider arming school personnel, either teachers or law-enforcement officials present in school buildings, particularly in rural areas where outside help takes longer to arrive.
It urges districts to take steps to “harden” their exteriors, including installing blast-proof glass. It also calls on states and cities to make it easier for courts to remove guns from people who pose a danger to themselves or others, known as extreme risk protection orders, and urges states to ease standards under which courts can force people to submit to psychiatric medications or other treatments. Trump formed the commission, chaired by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, after backtracking from a public call to place new age restrictions on firearm purchases, an issue he asked the commission to study. The report calls for further research into the issue, but is otherwise silent on gun restrictions. White House officials involved in drafting the report said they focused the report on mental health and physical-safety recommendations because they preferred to focus on policies that stand a chance of being enacted.