As I've said before, I'm a principal in a smaller high school. We have always practiced lockdown drills, and I have empowered my staff to take actions other than cowering in darkened and locked rooms with their kids. That includes escaping the building and counterattacking if somebody enters their room. We have known since Columbine that hiding under tables isn't the answer.
After Columbine, law enforcement changed tactics to rapid entry teams, and if you talk to individual officers, they will tell you that it they arrive alone and hear continuing gunfire many will enter the building alone. Law enforcement has changed their response because what was being done wasn't effective. Schools need to change their response also.
Just yesterday, I attended training provided by DHS that covered school shooting preparation and response. Some of those in the class were teachers and principals, some were law enforcement. The instructor of course talked about restricting access points, lockdown, and barricading of doors. Unlike most training in the past, however, this instructor referred to the ALICE protocol, which includes ESCAPE as one option in response to school violence (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counterattack, Escape).
This was a step forward, but when the instructor recommended that at the sound of gunfire principals lock themselves in their office and make themselves small, some of us spoke up. The instructor dismissed the thought that principals would attack a gunman. I told him, I PLAN TO FIGHT! With whatever I have -- improvised weapons, hands, etc. The best weapon is, after all, your brain. I know my school well, and think I cold likely approach a shooter and have a fair chance of tackling them. The average school shooting is over before police can arrive -- we need to buy time for students to lockdown or escape. In almost every school, there are a few sheepdogs who have the fight mentality. Unarmed against a handgun or rifle, my fight may be short, but any delay or distraction of the shooter I can cause gives teachers and students time to escape, and puts the police that much closer.
Unfortunately, most school principals don't think tactically like those of us on this forum. I don't know how to change this, except to continue to do training and planning with them. The daily business of the school is learning and teaching -- it isn't realistic to make every principal a tactical expert, but we can incrementally increase their mental preparation and training.
C Paul Lincoln