Should teachers be equipped with guns?

[Sciencewoman]

So, with all the classic TV show reboots, are we going to have "Walker: Texas Teacher" next? Kindergarten Cop was a movie, not reality.

I have been a teacher and professor of education for almost 30 years. I have done classroom observations in over 100 local classrooms and experienced the enhanced security procedures that all schools in our area have in place. All of our local elementary schools are locked during the day, most have buzzer systems and doorway security cameras. Someone in the office has to activate the door to open it, after viewing who is attempting to access the building.

As far as secondary schools, that seems to vary. I've experienced everything from locked doors and metal detectors to unlocked doors with open access.

I think the first solution is better, consistent security and limited access to school buildings. I can't imagine how it would even work to arm the faculty. First, the weapons would need to be secured and kept under lock and key, to prevent accidents and unauthorized student use. If there was an active shooter, the teacher would have to take time to access the weapon from its locked location, and this would presumably be occurring in the midst of scared students, chaos, limited information about the shooter/shooters and what's going on, etc. At best, this seems like an ineffective approach, and it seems that there'd be a high likelihood of someone shooting an innocent student, etc. Teachers are not trained SWAT professionals, and they're not going to be walking around armed.

Honestly, the fact that any legislator or policy maker would even suggest arming teachers is another indication of how little they know about the realities of teaching and the challenges teachers already face and meet every day.

Tight security, much improved mental health care access, and stricter gun laws would hold much more promise.