Arne Duncan said that the proposal on gun control had created one of his proudest moments while serving in this administration. Curbing school violence, he told us, is among his top priorities for the next four years. Somehow I think it's doubtful that these are the kinds of efforts he has in mind.

I worry whether our well meaning desire to combat bullying could lead to an even bigger problem by branding children who misbehave as criminals instead of using other methods to create a more civil and compassionate environment for our children.

As a teacher and a parent, what our nation's education leaders think really matters to me. And with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan about to begin a second term, it matters even more.

Research consistently shows that building connections between and among students and teachers, teachers and administrators, and the school and parents makes schools safer and offers better support to those who are at risk of becoming isolated, bullied, and teased.

The most important job we teachers have is giving our students a loving, safe place to connect with each other, with teachers, and with the curriculum.

A student had brought a gun to school. A young man who desperately wanted to fit in with the harder, gangster crowd had acquired his first gun. He wrapped it in his sweatpants for gym class and brought it to school in his backpack to show it off.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is calling for action against gun violence, fighting back tears during his first public interview since the sc...

If you had told my mother, who I believe would have laid down her life to protect any child, to carry a gun as part of her teaching duties, she would have walked out the door and never come back. If schools must be protected, then do so. But don't do it by turning teachers into weapons.