Is Arming Teachers a Good Idea to Improve the School Safety?

Everyone wants a safe campus, where teachers help their students to study and learn for their lives and future. Then, what does a safe campus look like? People may imagine many excellent teachers and students, sturdy buildings and facilities, and sufficient hardware and software. Moreover, people on campus should have the opportunity to protect themselves when dangers come because this is a human right. Therefore, the American government thinks letting people carry guns should be the most direct and effective solution. Although this issue has been debated for years, it is true that carrying guns on campus is legal now in many states. The purpose that American government reforms the gun laws for schools is to make a safer environment for all school members.

However, while some teachers and students feel safer about guns, some fear of guns at school. Now that a lot of shootings happen on campus since the new laws have been executed, the government has worked on a new proposal—training armed teachers—in order to protect the school members. This proposal causes a debate— is arming teachers a good idea to improve the school safety?

Many people who agree with arming teachers have several good reasons. According to Chavez’s report, David Hopkins says timing is the key point of saving lives when a shooting happens, so training the teachers could be effective to protect their students because teachers are often with their students, and they are the first people to face the gangsters. Therefore, the teachers are supposed to make a quick decision, and they would have a fighting chance during a shooting if they can carry guns. ¹ Santoni, a reporter and writer for Tribune-Review, says that the armed staff can protect the students before the police come, especially in rural school districts. That is, the armed staff can be more active instead of just waiting. ² Otherwise, maybe the shooting will cause casualties. In that way, no one can compensate for this loss.

Chavez then reports that the cost has to be considered. Hiring armed guards will increase the expenditure about $50,000 per year per person; in contrast, the training fee for 13 school staff is about $68,000, and most of the staff are volunteers. ³ It is obvious that the expenditure is a deep gap. The school budget includes not only a safety system. Instead, it is mainly for the education. If the government cannot afford more subsidy, the most efficient way is to train the school staff.

The most important thing is that protecting the students is all the school staff’s duty. Chavez talked to Steve Clugston, a school superintendent from Dallas. He thinks even though sometimes accidents happen, such as the gun’s going off, the people think enhancing the firearms safety course can help. ⁴ Moreover, many people, especially parents, have a high expectation of their children’s school life. They trust the school and send the kids to the “safe” environment. If the teachers cannot protect their kids, the government should not ask them to let the children go to school.

 These concerns are reasonable. However, it is necessary for people to listen to the teachers’ mind. Why do so many teachers do not agree with the “arming teachers” proposal? According to Burkitt’s interview with several educators who teach different subjects at school in Arizona, they think “teacher” is a full-time job, and some teachers do not think a full-time teacher should take over another job in order to protect the students even though they can get extra paid. ⁵ In other words, the teachers may not have extra time to take the training, and the gun training is professional and takes a lot of time. If the armed teachers are not professional enough, it is possible that they make the situation worse. On the other hand, according to Hanna’s report, some teachers in the second time of National School Walkout advocate that school staff should stay together and “requests for more school funding”. ⁶

Also, Burkitt reports that some teachers think teaching instead of arming is the main purpose they work at the school, so the responsibility should be clarified. ⁷ That is, of course, the teachers have the duty to protect their students, but not in this way. Many of the teachers even give a supplementary explanation: arming teachers may be effective, but there are some side effects. For example, if the students know that their teachers are allowed to carry guns in class, they will feel dangerous and threatened even though the guns are concealed. ⁸ Students are smart and sensitive, so they will notice the different atmosphere, and this is not helpful to their learning and the relationships between the teachers and students. Overall, these teachers are worried about the afterward problems brought by guns.

In fact, the main problem which can threaten the students is emotion. Burkitt talked to Ralph Quintana, president of the Arizona Federation of Teachers and a teacher at Sunset Vista Elementary, who advocated that the educators are often reluctant to label a student as having a mental illness or problem, so a student who has mental disorder may not be noticed, and this is a potential danger on campus. Quintana also questioned whether some teachers are qualified and skilled gun users. If not, they may not have the ability to protect their students when a shooting happens. ⁹ Another opponent, Jamira Burley, a member of the Generation Progress, Gun Violence Network, said that allowing guns on campus without appropriate education will raise the rate of violence and suicide.¹⁰ This study can be applied to both teachers and students.

            While many states allow guns on campus, some states do not agree. The debate of arming teachers is continuing. The American government and people are trying to find the best way to protect the schools. Maybe the next step is to improve the communication between the American government and people by improving the gun safety education in order to let people get more knowledge, especially the parents, teachers, students, and staff. Once people know the pros and cons of carrying guns on campus, they will move closer to the ideal of safe campus.

Notes

1.  Chavez, Nicole. “These Schools Say Arming Teachers ‘Can Be Done Right’,” CNN, February 28, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/24/us/armed-teachers-states-trnd/index.html

2. Santoni, Matthew. “Arming Teachers: Pros and Cons,“ TRIB, February 23, 2018, http://triblive.com/usworld/world/13340177-74/arming-teachers-pros-and-cons.

3. Chavez

4. Ibid

5. Burkitt, Bree. “We Asked Arizona Teachers if They Would Carry a Gun in Their Classroom,“ azcentral.com, March 17, 2018, https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2018/03/17/arizona-teachers-weigh-carrying-guns-classroom-donald-trump-nra/417966002/.

6. Hanna, Jason. Faith Karimi, and Holly Yan, “'We Won't Stop': Students Across US Renew Demand for Gun Safety in Second Walkout,“CNN, April 20, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/20/us/national-school-walkout/index.html

7. Burkitt

8. Ibid

9. Ibid

10. Vaidyanathan, Rajini. “Should Students Carry Guns on Campus? “ BBC NEWS, December 19, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30438570.

Bibliography

Burkitt, Bree. “We Asked Arizona Teachers if They Would Carry a Gun in Their Classroom,“ azcentral.com, March 17, 2018, https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2018/03/17/arizona-teachers-weigh-carrying-guns-classroom-donald-trump-nra/417966002/.

Chavez, Nicole. “These Schools Say Arming Teachers ‘Can Be Done Right’,” CNN, February 28, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/24/us/armed-teachers-states-trnd/index.html.

Hanna, Jason. Faith Karimi, and Holly Yan, “'We Won't Stop': Students Across US Renew Demand for Gun Safety in Second Walkout,“CNN, April 20, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/20/us/national-school-walkout/index.html

Santoni, Matthew. “Arming Teachers: Pros and Cons,“ TRIB, February 23, 2018, http://triblive.com/usworld/world/13340177-74/arming-teachers-pros-and-cons

Vaidyanathan, Rajini. “Should Students Carry Guns on Campus? “ BBC NEWS, December 19, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30438570.