South Dakota may be last in the nation by a variety of education measures—but soon it'll be first in the only measure that counts: guns! Gov. Dennis Daugaard just signed into law a bill that would allow teachers to carry guns into the classroom—the first such bill in the country to make it into law:

About two dozen states have proposed similar bills since the shootings in December at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., but all of them have stalled.

Supporters say that the measure signed by Mr. Daugaard, a Republican, is important in a rural state like South Dakota, where some schools are many miles away from emergency responders. Opponents, which have included the state school board association and teachers association, say this is a rushed measure that does not make schools safer.

Yes: a stunning example of a state government putting students first and coordinating resources to improve its schools. What could go wrong here?

[NYT; image via AP]