WASHINGTON – A commission appointed by President Donald Trump listed more than 90 "best practices" on Tuesday to prevent mass shootings at schools, but played down the president's controversialcall to arm teachers and administrators.

"Nothing is more important than protecting our nation's children," Trump said at a meeting of government officials and family members affected by school shootings.

The recommendations of the Federal Commission on School Safety ranged from long-discussed improvements to the instant background check system for gun purchases to more funding under the Stop School Violence Act. The group's emphasis is on action at the local level.

Trump created the commission in response to the shooting in February at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that claimed 17 lives.

At the time he touted the idea of arming teachers as a way to confront mass school shootings and referred to the sheriff's deputy at the school as a "coward."

The federal government cannot impose "one-size-fits-all solutions," Education Secretary Betsy Devos told reporters, so state and local governments need to work with their school districts on "holistic" approaches.

"Local problems need local solutions," DeVos said.

Suggestions included better access to mental health programs as well as increased use of extreme risk protection court orders to prevent firearms access to people who are considered dangerous.

As for arming teachers and administrators, DeVos said the report encourages states and school districts "to seriously consider the option of partnering with local law enforcement in the training and arming of school personnel."

Some Democratic lawmakers said the Trump administration should not even broach the possibility of arming teachers. They also criticized the report for ignoring gun control proposals in general.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said "only Betsy DeVos, President Trump, and the gun industry think the best way to stop a school shooting is to load schools up with guns."

He called for "tighter" gun laws "to make sure that criminals don’t have access to guns and that no one can walk into a school with a weapon of war.”

The report also challenged media coverage of shootings.

DeVos cited the "No Notoriety campaign," which she said is designed to "keep the focus on the facts and the victims, and urges journalists not to mention the names or publish photos of the perpetrators."

Trump appointed the commission shortly after a Feb. 14 shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla., left 17 students dead.

Family members invited to the White House to discuss the report expressed support.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals lauded the committee's effort, but said it was "puzzling" that the commission would spend "untold tax dollars on rediscovering well-known school safety strategies."

JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of the principals' association, also said the commission undercut its credibility "by staying mute on the issue of firearm access and other prevention efforts that reduce the need to turn schools into fortresses."