Classrooms are not what they used to be. School is meant for fun with friends, and learning. Kids today are forced to worry about extreme violence every time they walk onto school property. This can easily cause anxiety and limit learning potential. The new reality has forced officials to consider arming teachers in every classroom. This is a huge undertaking, involving millions of dollars in training and equipment costs. The motion is having trouble getting underway, however, due to many oppositions. Time cannot be wasted when it comes to the safety of our children.
Teachers are also showing up to
work in fear. They have to remain strong for the children, even when they are constantly considering what to do in an emergency. Teachers need to feel more in control of the situation. They should be able to fight for the children and themselves. It is unfair to ask people to come to work without giving them the choice to protect their own life. Unfortunately, we must face the reality that teaching is now a dangerous profession.Even without school shooters, there are various reasons that teacher should be armed. High school teachers in rough neighborhoods face violent kids, at times. The majority of teachers are women, meaning that they are more in danger of suffering an assault coming to and from work. Arming teachers offers a new level of security that should be embraced by the public.
10Protection of Children
9Taking Control
8Inefficient Emergency Plans
Most schools have a strict emergency protocols by now. There have been enough school shootings to warrant significant attention to this matter. These plans, however, are having to be executed in outdated buildings with incredible numbers of students. It takes monetary resources to completely overhaul a school building. At best, most schools are making due with what they have. Original classroom doors may not even have locks on them. Emergency plans may be as simple as having students duck under their desks. This is incredibly insufficient when human life is concerned.
Teachers can fill in the gaps in security. One armed teacher may not be able to defeat a shooter, however, several stand a very good chance of taking one down. Large schools simply have too many hiding places and unsecured entry points. There are too many variables to limit armed security to one area of the school. A school shooter often knows the layout of the school, as well as the safety precautions. If every teacher is armed, there is less chance that multiple classrooms become affected.
Some schools require that children be herded into a closet or into cabinets. Shots can still be fired through the doors. A teacher with a gun could fire back from any location. Arming teachers adds an extra layer of defense to the standing protocol in most schools. It is a great idea to reinforce protective measures. Arming teachers may even act as a preventative. School shooters have yet to go up against teachers with weapons. You can depend on one particular method to protect the school at all times. Every emergency situation is unique. It is better to be over prepared, than to mourn the loss of precious students.
7Quick Reactions
When an emergency happens, a quick reaction time is pertinent. Lives can be lost if children are not rushed into hiding fast enough, or alarms do not sound on time. It takes time for first responders to arrive on the scene. Large amounts of damage can occur while they are in transit. Even schools with armed security guards have limited coverage. A security guard cannot be everywhere at once. In most cases, the shooter would avoid the area where a guard is on duty. Once an emergency is underway, it can take several minutes for the guard to arrive in the correct location.
All of these delays can result in loss of innocent lives. A teacher can simply reach into her desk or purse and be armed within seconds. Each classroom can have a trained shooter, ready to retaliate. Teachers from nearby classrooms can also respond, quickly outnumbering the intruder. Teachers are great at responding to a variety of situations with innovative solutions. There is no doubt that they can be trained to respond appropriately in this situation, as well.
There is no time to carry out complicated emergency procedures when an intruder has arrived on campus. The entire situation can change within seconds. You cannot completely predict the exact moves of a shooter.
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