Written by: Tom Czyz

Protecting schools from active assailants is a complex challenge, but how we train staff and students can profoundly impact their preparedness and mental health. Some current practices, like involving students in active shooter drills or using trauma-based methods to train staff, do more harm than good. There’s a better way — one that builds confidence without creating fear.

While high-stress, trauma-based training is effective for military and law enforcement, it is not appropriate for school staff. Teachers are educators, not soldiers, and training them as such is counterproductive. We don’t see the nation’s top universities, like Duke, Stanford, or Yale, pointing guns at students to make them remember a lesson. That’s because trauma doesn’t enhance learning — it disrupts it.

We believe in taking “baby steps” or using a scaffolding approach to train — starting small and gradually building staff confidence and capability over time. For instance, introducing staff to the sound of fake gunshots is optional and only offered to those who have completed four to five hours of active assailant training over two years. Graphic elements like fake blood and gore are unnecessary for teachers and administrators. Those tools are better suited for first responders such as fire, police, and EMS personnel.

My team and I have been fighting for years to ensure that legislation reflects these best practices. Our goal is clear: we don’t want to traumatize students or staff; we want to empower them.

Why Students Should Not Be Involved in Active Shooter Drills

Active shooter drills involving students are unnecessary and harmful. Rehearsing worst-case scenarios with children, especially when violence or weapons are mentioned, creates a climate of fear without increasing safety.

Additionally, over 80% of the time, school active shooters are current or former students. If we train students on our response options, we are effectively giving them the game plan. This compromises the safety of everyone in the school, as the attacker will know how staff and students are likely to respond. When attackers know the plan, the system fails — and more lives are lost.

Schools should instead conduct simple, two to three-minute lockdown drills that teach students how to follow directions quickly and quietly in any emergency. These drills should always prioritize transparency and communication. Parents should be notified in advance, and it should be announced multiple times during the exercise that it is only a drill. There should also be no role players involved, as this can create confusion and unnecessary anxiety.

Training That Works for Teachers

Teachers thrive on structured, approachable learning. That’s why we design training to mirror the way educators teach: one step at a time. By progressively introducing new concepts and allowing staff to practice in low-pressure environments, we ensure they retain what they’ve learned and feel confident applying it in a crisis.

School staff should be taught options-based training, such as Run, Hide, Barricade, and Fight, or a version of those options tailored to their environment. This training should take place on professional development days, with no students in the building, to allow staff to focus fully and practice effectively without distractions or concerns about alarming children.

This thoughtful approach avoids the burnout and anxiety that can come from overwhelming or traumatizing training sessions. Instead, it empowers staff to protect their students with calm, deliberate action.

5 Steps Schools Can Take to Prevent and Mitigate Threats

Effective school safety requires a layered approach that prioritizes prevention, protection, and training:

1. Behavior Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM): Identify and intervene with at-risk individuals before they pose a threat.
2. Infrastructure Hardening: Use shooter-attack-certified glass, secure doors, and access controls to slow attackers and protect students and staff.
3. Practical Staff Training: Focus on options-based training that builds confidence over time and avoids traumatizing participants.
4. Calm Lockdown Drills for Students: Keep drills short, simple, and focused on procedural safety, avoiding mention of weapons or violence.
5. Community Collaboration: Work with law enforcement, mental health professionals, and parents to create a unified safety plan.

A Call to Action

For years, we have advocated for safer, trauma-free training practices in schools. Trauma doesn’t make teachers or students safer—it makes them less prepared. By prioritizing thoughtful, confidence-building training and emphasizing prevention, we can protect schools without sacrificing the mental well-being of those within them.

It’s time to end the cycle of fear and replace it with preparedness and empowerment. Together, we can ensure that every school is a safe place to learn and grow.

Tom Czyz is the founder of Armoured One and ONE Training, which offer services and products related to school security. Czyz has conducted independent investigations for over 60 school shootings including Uvalde, Sandy Hook, and Parkland. He regularly consults schools on safety policies, training, and physical security measures. Previously, Czyz worked in law enforcement for nearly 20 years, serving in such roles as a homicide detective and a SWAT officer.

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