preview

Arming Teachers

Decent Essays

Due to the high number of recent school shootings and gun related discharges, 56% of Americans have come to expect these terrible incidents according to a poll conducted by CBS news. A debate has grown in the United States, whether to arm and train the public school teachers using federal funds. Under the right circumstances it has the potential to be a good idea but there are many issues with the situation. Such as the cost and accuracy of arming teachers, the abuse that could go on due to intimidation as well as the fact there is a better solution that would benefit the students of Texas better than just their teachers toting around a gun.
Diane Ravitch, who is the Former Assistant Secretary of Education brought up how “Every teacher [she’s …show more content…

So yes, legally teachers have the right to be armed if their school board agrees with it and certifies. But why would they want to arm them? Yes, to protect our students but there is just so much that would cause issues. Law enforcement only has an 18% accuracy rating when the opposite opponent is firing back according to the RAND Corporation’s evaluation of the New York Police department. It shows that even a highly trained professional law enforcement officer has trouble shooting a suspect in highly stressful …show more content…

A SOR is a School Resource Officers are “sworn law enforcement officers responsible for safety and crime prevention” are a brilliant idea. There is already 14,000 to 20,000 SORs across the nation in the school system. SORs have proven to be effective in reducing school violence, according to the “Comprehensive School Safety Initiative” that is a research project that had a budget of $75 million thanks to the work of the National Institute of Justice. Recently a School Resource Officer, Deputy Blaine Gaskill was elected to receive the National award of Valor. He ended a school shooting very quickly in Maryland in March. The School Resource officers aren’t just there to tote around a gun, they’d be there to see “with a different set of eyes” (Blad) according to Sheri Bauman, a professor of counseling at the University of Arizona. They provide useful tips and can also relate more with students who aren’t comfortable talking to a counselor. According to several different surveys conducted the SORs have helped with issues from bullying to tardies to even violence. Which means it wouldn’t entirely be based on the scenario “if a school shooting occurs”, it would help improve the daily life of the students on

Get Access