Teachers being armed to protect schools

Teachers Being Armed to Protect Schools

By Cole Sanchez

Chs49@txstate.edu



SAN MARCOS, Texas – School shootings have occurred in schools around the nation at a slightly increasing rate. Because of this, schools are constructing possible solutions to protect their students.

CNN reports President Donald Trump is promoting bonuses for the teachers who are willing to attend a training course. A training course is a requirement that teachers will need to complete if they want to carry a firearm. Some other possible solutions to this problem are to include more security and training teachers to have firearms.

In 2012, after the shooting in Arkansas at Sandy Hook Elementary, NBC News states Sandy Hook wanted to hire extra full-time security. Security is a solution many schools may need to take to keep them safe during a possible attack.

Lately, Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and Great Mills High School in Maryland are involved in mass shootings. These shootings include the lives of students that are either injured or even killed because they are in the line of fire while trying to escape or to help others. To help this issue is to hire more armed security to prevent criminals going inside of schools.

Julian Salazar, a student, believes that training the officers around campus could be a way for students to feel safer and can trust officers on campus if they were put in a situation to save a life.

“As far as other options, maybe more training for the police officers that stay around on campus

Julian Salazar Photo by:Shanell Smith

because I feel like when I was in high school, I wouldn't trust the officers that were there to do anything in a situation like that. You have a taser or gun, but I don't know if I trust them when the time would come to save my life,” said Salazar.

Coming from a school that had heavy security, Hannah Guerrero believes having extra protection can be a primary answer to the problems kids face in school when firearms are involved.

Hannah Guerrero Photo by:Tierra Cole

 "I came from a high school that had metal detectors. Every once in a while, we found a student with a gun, and I understand it takes a lot out of a morning, but it did help with security purposes. If it's something that needs to be implemented in all schools so be it,” said Guerrero.

A policy is attempting to get 10-20 percent of teachers trained and having a firearm in schools.

Teachers armed is a responsibility they are willing to take if they choose to carry a gun on school grounds. This being a possibility, teachers will have to undergo professional training that will teach them key points of carrying a firearm. Arming a teacher could be a way to make a change when it comes to protecting students in a school.

Blake Mitchell believes if arming teachers is a solution to this problem, taking classes outside of school that involves getting your License to Carry. But engaging teachers with firearms they can choose to take that course or not, meaning if they do not want to carry a gun they do not have to do so.

Blake Mitchell Photo by: Kathryn Willis

“I think they should go through regular certification to get your LTC (license to carry), they should have to go through other classes outside of school and inside school similar to your teacher's cert. Teachers need to know what they are doing and how to shoot. Teachers also shouldn't be forced to carry, but it can be up to them,” said Mitchell. 

Mark Villanueva Photo by: Carlos Mercado

Mark Villanueva, a student, also believes that if teachers are in possessionof a firearm they should go through a professional gun course.

“I think teachers should go through some sort of training when handling a firearm. License to carry is one of the licenses I believe all teachers should have. I believe teachers should also learn how to properly fire a gun with professional training,” said Villanueva.

After gun possession research from the Pew Search Center, 30 percent of Americans are in possession of a gun mostly over the age of 50.

Based on these reports people in America may not own a firearm but maybe know someone that does. People that live more in the country have a higher percentage owning a firearm than others in specific areas.

Kyle Frugoni is a student with a hunting background. Because of hunting, he is more familiar with a rifle, but he believes that when people have a concealed weapon, it should be used more suitably.

Kyle Frugoni Photo by: Morgan Lewis

“My relationship with guns is I've been hunting since I was around 7 or 8 years old. So personally I don't have an AR-15, but there's no reason for me to have one because I use a rifle to hunt. I don't have a problem with anyone else having a rifle as long as they don't use it to harm other people,” said Kyle Frugoni.

Evan Brieden, a student, is more familiar with being around guns. Even has had experience with shooting a gun, but keeps them in a safe when guns are not in use.

 

Evan Brieden Photo by: Dymond Sam and Ashley Bowerman

“I grew up not in the country but my Dad was very country and we have a couple safes in our house full of guns and I grew up shooting,” said Evan Brieden.

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