Arming Teachers and Faculty in Public Schools
Introduction to the Issue Around the United States, the safety of students in the public school system is becoming unsure. School shootings are occurring at an alarmingly rising rate, and each day, the lives of students are further at risk. After recent incidents, school districts were faced with one question concerning the safety of school-goers: How can school shootings be prevented? This question posed a solution of using a concealed-carry method and arming school faculty. Putting guns in the hands of teachers provides preparedness and a way to keep students safe in the event that an attacker steps on campus. While many schools saw danger, several schools saw potential in preventing such tragic …show more content…
Many schools around the country took the negative stance; however, one school decided to implement this issue and take action. Clarksville High School, located in Clarksville, Arkansas, armed twenty of its faculty and staff in 2013. According to Danny Johnston with the Associated Press (2013), Superintendent of Clarksville School District, David Hopkins, explains that “The plan we've been given in the past is, 'Well, lock your doors, turn off your lights and hope for the best,' " Superintendent David Hopkins said. But as deadly incidents continued to happen in schools, he explained, the district decided, "That's not a plan." (p. 1). Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Hopkins and others within Clarksville Schools realized that simply locking students inside the classrooms was not the best plan to provide safety for the students and faculty of the district. Clarksville armed around twenty of its teachers and faculty in 2013 as a plan to save as many students’ lives as possible. Growing up in this school district, my peers and I felt much safer knowing that in the event of an emergency, a concealed-carry holder could take care of it
Introduction to the Issue Around the United States, the safety of students in the public school system is becoming unsure. School shootings are occurring at an alarmingly rising rate, and each day, the lives of students are further at risk. After recent incidents, school districts were faced with one question concerning the safety of school-goers: How can school shootings be prevented? This question posed a solution of using a concealed-carry method and arming school faculty. Putting guns in the hands of teachers provides preparedness and a way to keep students safe in the event that an attacker steps on campus. While many schools saw danger, several schools saw potential in preventing such tragic …show more content…
Many schools around the country took the negative stance; however, one school decided to implement this issue and take action. Clarksville High School, located in Clarksville, Arkansas, armed twenty of its faculty and staff in 2013. According to Danny Johnston with the Associated Press (2013), Superintendent of Clarksville School District, David Hopkins, explains that “The plan we've been given in the past is, 'Well, lock your doors, turn off your lights and hope for the best,' " Superintendent David Hopkins said. But as deadly incidents continued to happen in schools, he explained, the district decided, "That's not a plan." (p. 1). Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Hopkins and others within Clarksville Schools realized that simply locking students inside the classrooms was not the best plan to provide safety for the students and faculty of the district. Clarksville armed around twenty of its teachers and faculty in 2013 as a plan to save as many students’ lives as possible. Growing up in this school district, my peers and I felt much safer knowing that in the event of an emergency, a concealed-carry holder could take care of it