Contemporary Issue in Education

Arming our Teachers Linda BehrendsIntroduction to Teaching

http://survivalsherpa.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/guns-in-schools-a-teachers-response/

INTASC Standard, Description and RationaleStandard #5 Application of Content

The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

Name of Artifact: Contemporary Issue in Education Research ProjectDate: November 7th , 2013Course: EDUC 101

Brief Description: For the Current Issues in Education Research Project I chose to use a PowerPoint presentation with many pictures to help engage my audience with my topic of “Arming Teachers”.Rationale: To document my understanding of Standard #5, Application of Content, I selected Arming teachers as my current issues to engage my audience in my presentation of facts and personal views, and to receive their personal views as well.

Overview The issue is whether or not allowing teachers to carry

concealed firearms would benefit the safety of our children in the event of a school shooting. Is it

too dangerous for our teachers to carry a concealed weapon while

they are teaching?The teachers are selected, trained,

and strategically placed throughout the school. Their

identities are unknown to anyone.

Indiana Law Has

Permitted Teachers to

Carry a Concealed Handgun

since 1994

http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/2010/title35/ar47/ch9.pdf

“Innocent lives will be spared and our classrooms and communities will be a safer place to live, learn,

work, and play” (Nugent, 2012).Pros

• When police response time is high, someone is there to protect students until the police arrive.

• Knowing that a teacher is armed makes the school less likely to be targeted.

https://www.facebook.com/RBACP/photos_stream

https://www.facebook.com/RBACP/photos_stream

https://www.facebook.com/RBACP/photos_stream http://www.kswt.com/story/21672155/arizona-senate-to-vote-on-allows-teachers-to-carry-guns-at-school

http://www.lipstickalley.com/f50/texas-school-where-teachers-carry-guns-prepared-protect-students-458075/index3.html

http://www.lipstickalley.com/f50/texas-school-where-teachers-carry-guns-prepared-protect-students-458075/

https://www.facebook.com/RBACP/photos_stream

http://www.cartoonaday.com/gun-control-cartoon-armed-teachers/

The school Improvement Network Surveyed over 10,600 educators in all 50 states 68% of schools have increased security

33% are locking more doors10% are increasing police presences

72 % said they would not bring a firearm to school88% said an armed guard would improve safety

37 % said their school has some type of armed guard5 % said their school has added full time police

(District Administration, 2013)

Cons• Cross Fire / Friendly Fire

• “Even trained police officers, on average, hit their intended target less than 20% of the time” (Rostron, 2012).

• Teacher as 1st Victim• “If the person attacking a school knows that teachers may be armed, that

would simply make the teacher most likely their first victim” (Rostorn, 2012).

• Perception of Danger• “2,143 Elementary or secondary school students were expelled for

bringing or possessing a firearm at school(Rostront, 2012).

"As a society, do we really want our teachers to be prepared to shoot children, perhaps

killing them?“ (Rostron, 2012)

https://www.facebook.com/RBACP/photos_stream

Would arming teachers help prevent so many deaths in school shootings?

Would having armed police or guards be better ?

References• Nugent, T. (2012). Arming Teachers Is Necessary to Reduce School Violence. In L. I.

Gerdes (Ed.), Opposing Viewpoints. Juvenile Crime. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from Human Events, 2009, October 8)

• Rostron, Allen, and Brian Siebel. "Arming Teachers Will Not Reduce School Violence."Juvenile Crime. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "No Gun Left Behind: The Gun Lobby's Campaign to Push Guns into Colleges and Schools." www.bradycampaign.org. Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 2007. 9-11. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

• Survey: Do Teachers Feel Safe in School? (2013). District Administration, 49(4), 20-20. Weaver, L. (2013). Arming school employees: Odessa American (TX).