Education

After last week's elementary school shooting in Connecticut, President Obama promised to use whatever power he has to prevent another mass shooting. Host Michel Martin speaks to Republican strategist Ron Christie and Keli Goff of The Root, to discuss how the debate could play out on Capitol Hill.

There's a lot of talk about students struggling in K through 12 classrooms. But once they get to college, many students fall even further behind. Host Michel Martin speaks with Sarah Gonzalez, NPR's StateImpact Florida reporter, about the high number of college students enrolling in remedial classes.

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MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

In 2005, Red Lake High School in northern Minnesota was the scene of another school shooting. In all, 10 people died, including the 16-year-old shooter. When I went to Red Lake soon after the attack, I talked with the school principal, Chris Dunshee. He told me Red Lake had joined what he called a tragic fraternity along with schools in Columbine, Colorado, and Paducah, Kentucky. When I reached Dunshee today, he sad the Newtown shooting had brought painful memories flooding back.

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MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

In the aftermath of Newtown, school officials and parents across the country were asking themselves the same question today, how safe is my school? NPR's Claudio Sanchez has that story.

CLAUDIO SANCHEZ, BYLINE: In Nashville, Tennessee, Ruth Rosenberg asked her daughter's first grade teacher what school was going to be like today. Teachers there were told to downplay any discussion of the Newtown shooting since many kids still don't know what happened, including her seven-year-old daughter, says Rosenberg.

Host Michel Martin continues the conversation on America's gun culture. She speaks with author Paul Barrett, journalist Craig Whitney and psychiatrist Carl Bell.

After an elementary school shooting in Connecticut, Americans continue to struggle to understand why it happened and how to prevent future tragedies. Host Michel Martin discusses the shooting with author Paul Barrett, journalist Craig Whitney and psychiatrist Carl Bell. They talk about the politics and psychology of America's gun culture.