Proposal to arm K-12 teachers creates debate among San Marcos community

Alyssa Pierce

Adp88@txstate.edu

SAN MARCOS, Texas — A proposal to arm K-12 teachers has generated disagreement among the San Marcos community.

After the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the student survivors created a movement called “March For Our Lives” that promotes stricter gun policy. In response to the school shooting, President Donald Trump proposed a policy to arm “adept teachers with military or special training.”

Otto Glenewinkel
Photo by Ashley Bowerman

A PEW Research Center survey found that 45% of U.S. adults support the notion of arming K-12 teachers. 89% of gun owners and non-owners  agree that the mentally ill should be prevented from purchasing guns.

Otto Glenewinkel, Texas State University police officer, said he is against the idea of arming teachers.

“You [should] hire trained professionals. Equip them properly, train them properly and put them in the schools to do the job of protecting the students, the staff and the faculty … Part of the problem with arming teachers is that, if the teacher goes looking for the bad guy and we see them, the teacher is [going to] get shot,” said Glenewinkel.

Julian Salazar
Photo by Shanell Smith

10 states already allow school personnel to have access to or possess a firearm on school property, according to an analysis by the Education Commission of the States. Julian Salazar, a Texas State student, said he would not feel comfortable being armed in a school setting.

“As someone who is [currently] going to school to become a teacher, ... I am not comfortable with the idea [of] having to be armed. The possibility of having ... to shoot one of my own students, that I might know on a personal level, I feel like I wouldn’t be capable,” said Julian Salazar.

Daniel Leboeuf
Photo by Carlos Mercado

Callisburg Independent School District currently has certain staff members that are armed to aid in a possible active shooter situation. The superintendent said the school’s “guardian force” completes yearly active shooter scenario training and does target practice at gun ranges routinely.

Daniel Leboeuf, Texas State student, said he supports the idea to arm teachers so they can have some form of defense.

“[With] all the terror and violence going on in schools, I do believe teachers should be armed. They should use any means necessary to protect themselves and the students,”  Leboeuf said. “I do believe though that all teachers who carry guns should go through ... training to show that they are qualified to carry and fire a gun.”

Jayla Dunbar
Photo by Dymond Sam

Texas State University student, Jayla Dunbar, said residents should not be required to fund the arming of teachers.

“I feel like if you want to carry a gun, you should pay for it. Because I don’t feel like me as a taxpayer [should] have to pay for it because it’s not something I believe in,” said Jayla Dunbar.

According to data collected by the Department of Education, there are approximately 3.6 million teachers in the U.S. which would cost around $71.8 million to arm every teacher if their training costed $100 each.

Evan Brieden, Texas State student, said there should first be a focus on the mental health aspect before arming teachers.

“I don’t think arming teachers would help resolve the problem. I think you need to start with the root of psychological help in regards to the school shootings recently, as opposed to arming teachers,” said Brieden.

Vangelis Metsis, a Greek computer science professor, said there is a difference between gun violence in America and other countries.

Vangelis Metsis
Photo by Ashley Bowerman

“There needs to be a change. You can just compare it with what happens in other countries where there are no guns allowed to the general public, and the rates of mass shootings are almost zero ... I come from a country, Greece, where … there are no incidents of mass shootings really,” said Metsis.

Citizens across the nation continue to debate the issue of arming teachers and what the best possible solution is to the ongoing gun policy conflict.