Arne Duncan: Parents Should Boycott Schools Until Gun Laws Are Fixed

By Alyson Klein

Parents of public school students should consider pulling their children out of school until the nation passes new restrictions on gun laws, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan tweeted Saturday.

Duncan, who has long argued that tighter gun restrictions would save children’s lives, was co-signing an idea, also floated on Twitter, from his one-time communications chief, Peter Cunningham. Cunningham now heads up Education Post, a K-12 advocacy and communications organization.

This is brilliant, and tragically necessary.

What if no children went to school until gun laws changed to keep them safe?

My family is all in if we can do this at scale.

Parents, will you please join us? https://twitter.com/pcunningham57/status/997498464542978048 …

1:07 PM – May 18, 2018

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3,568 people are talking about this

Duncan’s comments came in the wake of a school shooting Friday in Sante Fe, Texas, which left 10 dead, mostly students.

He said in an interview with the Washington Post that the idea was meant to spark discussion.

“I’m open to other ideas, I’m open to different ideas, but I’m not open to doing nothing,” Duncan told the Post. “We will see whether this gains traction, or something does, but we have to think radically.”

At least a few folks on Twitter seconded the one-time education secretary. They included Wendy Kopp, the founder of Teach For America, a nonprofit that trains college graduates to work in needy schools.

Wendy Kopp

@wendykopp

We’re in. @BarthRichard https://twitter.com/arneduncan/status/997569320518594560 …

5:57 PM – May 18, 2018

David Weaver

@DavidWeaver

Count us in, Mr. Secretary. #EnoughIsEnough https://twitter.com/arneduncan/status/997569320518594560 …

4:35 PM – May 18, 2018

Efraín Martínez

@EfraMart13

My #family is in too! This is not about left or right, it’s about our children that keep dying because some adults are impeding progress. Together we can! #SiSePuede https://twitter.com/arneduncan/status/997569320518594560 …

4:08 PM – May 18, 2018 · Chicago, IL

Christine Mooneyhan

@roadmastersgirl

Replying to @arneduncan @maximepo1

I’ll do it. My baby shouldn’t have to hold a sign like this ever again. She shouldn’t have a school shooter drill again. Tornado/fire only

3:33 PM – May 18, 2018

Duncan, who was President Barack Obama’s first and longest-serving Cabinet secretary, is now a managing partner at the Emerson Collective, a policy and advocacy organization, where he works to promote gun safety.