Armed Teachers

[Vercetti Thug]

Found this article on MSN

AUSTIN, Texas - Along with normal first-day jitters and excitement, students in this tiny district started school Monday wondering which teachers might be toting firearms.

"It was kind of awkward knowing that some teachers were carrying guns," said Adam Lira, 17, a senior. "I don't feel like they should be, 'cause we already have locked doors and cameras. But I didn't feel threatened by it."

Several parents said they had no idea that employees of the K-12 school were allowed to carry concealed guns on campus until recent publicity about the school board's policy, approved quietly last fall. They said they were upset that the rural community near the Oklahoma border had not been able to give input.

While some parents said they felt their children were safer, others opposed the plan, which appears to be the first of its kind nationwide.

"As far as I'm concerned, teachers were trained to educate my children — not carry a gun. Even police officers need years of training in hostage situations," said Traci McKay, whose three children are among the 110 students in the red-brick Harrold school. "I don't want my child looking over her shoulder wondering who's carrying a gun."

But Harrold Superintendent David Thweatt said the board approved the policy in an October open meeting that had been publicized. He said the decision was made after nearly two years of researching the best school security options at the school, which is just off a busy highway and 30 minutes away from the sheriff's office.

"When you outlaw guns in a certain area, the only people who follow that are law-abiding citizens, and everybody else ignores it," Thweatt said.

Click for related content

Live Vote: Should teachers be allowed to carry guns?

The superintendent said some of the school's 50 employees are carrying weapons, but he wouldn't say how many. When pressed further, he first said that revealing that number might jeopardize school security. He then added that he considered it to be personnel information and not a matter of public record.

Each employee who wants to carry a weapon first must be approved by the board based on his or her personality and reaction to a crisis, Thweatt said. In addition to training required for a state concealed weapons license, they also must be trained to handle crisis intervention and hostage situations.

State education officials said they did not know of any other Texas schools allowing teachers to carry guns. National security experts and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence said they did not know of other U.S. schools with such a policy.

School districts in some states, including Florida and Arizona, have closed loopholes that allowed guns on K-12 campuses. Utah allows concealed weapons at public universities but not at primary or secondary schools.

Special bullets, extra precautions

Thweatt said the board took extra precautions, such as requiring employees to use bullets that will minimize the risk of ricochet, similar to those used by air marshals on planes.

"I can lead them from a fire, tornado and toxic spill; we have plans in place for that. I cannot lead them from an active shooter," Thweatt said. "There are people who are going to think this is extreme, but it's easy to defend."

Judy Priz, who has a third-grade daughter, said that "everyone I've talked to thinks it's great." She said she trusts the teachers with her child's life.

"Look how long it takes the police or anybody else to get here," she told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for a story in its Monday online edition. "If someone wants to come here and harm someone, at least we would have sort of defense."

Gov. Rick Perry has said he supports the policy because "there's a lot of incidents where that would have saved a number of lives."

The Brady Center has spoken out against the plan, saying it may not comply with Texas law, which bans firearms at schools unless carriers have given written permission. If the school board authorizes an employee to carry a gun, then that person must be a peace officer, according to the center.

"It's unfair of us to ask teachers to take on the additional job of being police officers," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign.

Cheryl Mehl, an attorney for the Harrold school district, said the statute the Brady Center cites applies only to security guards, not teachers and other employees. The district has no security guards.

[Charger]

I don't think they should, there are some crazy teachers out there who I wouldn't trust to have guns.

That's why we have armed police men in our schools.

Edited August 26, 2008 by Charger

[Huckleberry Pie]

I don't think they should, there are some crazy teachers out there who I wouldn't trust to have guns.

That's why we have armed police men in our schools.

Me, too... There are other alternative ways on dealing with sticky situations, not just carry a gun like as if you're on a GTA-esque rampage...

[WRX22B1998]

Hmm i dunno about teachers with guns.

I could imagine some sort of shooting being more likely, eg the teacher leaves the room, the gun is in the drawer. then some kid gets it and shoots the kid thats been bullying him or something...

but hey its usa...

[Scott.]

I don't think they should, there are some crazy teachers out there who I wouldn't trust to have guns.

X2X2X2X2X2X2

My teachers are fucking crazy, they'd go around shooting the other teachers they hate, apart frmo my headteacher, he'd go around shooting the litter across the school lol.

[Vercetti Thug]

I don't really trust my 9th grade math teacher with a weapon. She hated me so much, its like, she almost squashed my head before she remembered that it was a crime. Still, she gave me an F on my test and said it in front of the class. Bitch. (but I got the last laugh since i passed the class with a B, Take that you old F&@#@$)

[claude-5]

i would not trust my science teacher with a gun, or any for that matter, i think its stupid, why the hell would you give guns to teachers anyway

[Vercetti Thug]

...so if students or a little boy raping psycho doing the moonwalk (Micheal Jackson) comes up, they can defend themselves...oh and the students too.

[NotYouHaha]

Was there even previous cases in-which there were shooters?

It's not that I wouldn't trust teachers with a gun (only qualified teachers would have a gun, according to the article), how would they save lives? What? Will they shoot the shooter before he shoots? Many hostage situations need negotiators, not armed teachers.

And guys, do you actually think a teacher would use a gun on a student?

[Angry Gorilla]

...And guys, do you actually think a teacher would use a gun on a student?

It's possible, if the teacher was batshit crazy.

[Chris]

"It was kind of awkward knowing that some teachers were carrying guns," said Adam Lira, 17, a senior. "I don't feel like they should be, 'cause we already have locked doors and cameras. But I didn't feel threatened by it."

WHAT. THE. FUCK!?

Are all American schools like this? Shitting hell. I would never send my kids to a school that employed such drastic measures. That's fucking scary they feel the need to do all that.

If something happened inside the classroom I'd like to GTFO as quick as fucking possible. Locked doors? Fucking great idea. What are kids supposed to do? Smash the windows and jump out, getting injured in the process?

Teachers having guns. Now that's just unnecessary and I could see that getting out of hand. If pedo's can easily become teachers, then a murderer can too. What's to stop them threatening or even shooting students just because they can?

Cameras in the school grounds I can understand. But actually inside the classrooms... I don't know why they'd be needed. What exactly goes on in there!?

[claude-5]

locked doors? cameras in classrooms?

im soo glad i live in england, cuz if i had 2 go there, i would go mad, its like a prison!

[Charger]

There are camera's in schools, but they are located in the Hallways, well at least in my School. As for locked doors, from the outside yes, inside no.

[Vercetti Thug]

Wow chris, you actually have a point, its like a pedophile/insane/killer teacher takes kids hostage/ Of course im sure there would be background checks, but in the school system, anything can happen, and considering its the school system, that anything means something bad.

[Urbanoutlaw]

Yes, you figured it out, we're ALL gun crazy psychos who kill each other at the slightest provocation!!!

Stay away & don't look at us!!!

Yeah, I saw this story too. What the telly isn't telling you is that most Americans who legally own weapons are very stable

& not prone to rampages. The ones you hear about are usually someone in ILLEGAL possession of a firearm & mentally ill

as well. Being from outside the US, most of you don't realize that to buy a firearm legally, you have to pass background

checks for Felony conviction, Legal residence, Mental health, Domestic violence & Drug convictions. In some jurisdictions

drunk driving will also make possession of a firearm a felony.

If a teacher can pass all these conditions & the psychological testing then I have no problem trusting them w/ my kids.

You talk about having pedos & murderers for teachers, what kind of background checks do you have over there (if any)?

Locked doors refer to the entrances to the building itself, not the classrooms. If something happens that students need

to evacuate, throw a chair through the window. BRAKE GLASS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. This is to keep undesirable

types away from the kids & control who goes in & out of the school. Concealed carry refers to carrying a weapon on

your person, not left in a drawer unattended.

This is before most of your times, but here's a solid argument for concealed carry -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hennard

One armed teacher could have prevented Columbine, a policy like this may have discouraged it all together.

[Vercetti Thug]

Actually outlaw, i got this on the internet if you recall not on the TV. But I see your point. It sounds so obvious when you say it, but not all people are pedos and murderers. We just assume they are.

[Rashon.]

I don't think they should, there are some crazy teachers out there who I wouldn't trust to have guns.

That's why we have armed police men in our schools.

100% agree. Plus, who knows some students might be out of their mind as to try to take it from a teacher. It's an outside chance but some students do go into teacher's desks.

[Nate10]

I'm fine with MY teachers carrying guns if they can pass all the fields of tests like Outlaw said....

[Urbanoutlaw]

An armed society is a polite society. (Robert Hienlien)

[rockstarrem]

An armed society is a polite society. (Robert Hienlien)

Yeah... that's very... true.

[Vercetti Thug]

That doesn't make sense to me... can someone explain that quote?

[MrLlamaLlama]

I think it means everyone is just nice to each other so they don't get shot.

I don't think kids would feel safe knowing their teacher had a gun on, it'd distract from learning, and spark a bigger interest in firearms, and possibly raise gun crime as a consequence. The reason people get guns is to shoot things, ultimately. So given this, the teachers are being told to shoot, or threaten to shoot children who misbehave? Maybe it's just scare tactics. Even so, you can't just scare kids into being good, if you were and kind of fucking teacher, your class would pay attention and listen to what you say, gun or no gun.

[NSanityHD]

I'd love to go and live in America, but not go to any schools. Especially if they have weapons. These people are crazy.

[Urbanoutlaw]

That doesn't make sense to me... can someone explain that quote?

It means people are less likely to get stupid w/ each other if there's a chance they'll get a big damn hole in 'em for their

efforts.

The possibility of threatening a student w/ a weapon for disruptive behavior is one of the things they would undergo psych

testing for & a situation they want to avoid - "You didn't do your homework!" BOOM!!!

Some kid flips out in school & starts shooting at you, you'll wish someone had a gun. The possibility alone would at least

make you think twice about trying. If not, is society really losing anything?

[Butters!]

Lol, I would freak if my Math Teacher was allowed a gun. Shes a F**King Phsyco!