Better Alternatives to Arming Teachers
With Rachel Rothchild & Coral DiMichele, School of Education students at Pace
Rachel
One of the things I always remember being told as a child was that school was a safe place. No matter what was going on outside, I could come to school and know that I could learn and grow without fear. Sadly, while this was my understanding of school when I was growing up, I am not sure it can continue to be the view of children today, as the issue of gun control (or lack thereof) now looms large in the wake of recent school shootings. Reading the background on the history of gun control has allowed me to grow even firmer in my belief that there needs to be (at least) changes to our gun control laws. One of the largest arguments surrounding gun control today is how exactly to interpret the Second Amendment of the Constitution. In my opinion, the Second Amendment does not give ordinary citizens the right to own a gun. A lot has changed since the Second Amendment was written, in particular: the types of guns that are available. Where the guns our founding fathers used could fire one or two rounds a minute, the AR-15 rifle used in the recent Florida school shooting could fire forty-five rounds a minute. Guns have changed, so gun laws should change too.
Coral
It is clear that gun control is a controversial issue in need of addressing. While it is certain many feel restrictive gun control laws violate the second amendment, it is self-evident that there needs to be change. Guns should not be restricted entirely, since prohibiting items in history has often led to underground markets flourishing. However, restrictions on guns would be beneficial, especially for the greater safety of schools and vulnerable children. School districts have an obligation to protect their students. An effective and passionate teacher never goes to work and just teaches; they also strive to keep their students safe and secure. But this effort should not include being armed at all times.
For teachers, It is imperative to ensure open communication with students by letting them know they can come to their teachers for any issue they are having, no matter how big or small. It is the duty of teachers to assure our students that if they are concerned they can always trust their teachers. Educators can hang posters all throughout classrooms stating positive rules, so students will always know what is expected of them and what to do if they are in a situation inside or outside of school. School districts might consider having teachers offer journal diaries to each student to express how they are feeling and assure them that they will only be read by their teacher. Sometimes it is hard to come to someone if you are in a difficult situation, but writing it out can be easier and it will also ensure an awareness of what is going on in the classroom among students and in their personal lives.
Rachel
I am very impressed with my old school district (the Edison Public School District in New Jersey) and their efforts to align with state regulation on many important topics. In regard to mental health resources, the state requires that staff are trained to recognize signs of crisis, emotional trauma, and other related mental health issues. In the Edison Public School district, all staff are required to attend GCN (Global Compliance Network) training every single year, where they are trained to recognize these signals. The topic of mental health is not taken lightly in the district, and they follow all of the state protocol for mental health training. Along with the GCN sessions, the district also trains staff on how to recognize signs of people looking to commit suicide, and how they can help. The Edison School District follows all of the state regulations in terms of school safety. As per the state, there must be at least one fire drill and one school security drill (e.g. a non-fire evacuation, lockdown, bomb threat, or active shooter situation) per month. The Edison School District does comply with these requirements, and I remember having all of these drills when I was in school in the district as well. Each school must send a list of completed drills to the New Jersey Department of Education at the end of the school year to ensure they have completed all of the required drills, and staff are also required to attend trainings to ensure they know what to do in case of each type of emergency. Edison schools take violence seriously, and train their staff and inform their students accordingly.
When I become a teacher, I will make sure that my classroom is secured at all times according to district policy. In Edison, classroom doors must be closed and locked at all times and windows must open (and have screens), but must be closed immediately in an emergency situation. I will work with my students and help them understand (using language appropriate for whatever grade level I am currently teaching) what to do and what not to do in the case of an emergency, and practice all situations with my students so they know in advance what to do and when. I will inform my students that school is still a safe place, and that there are people to talk to if needed. I will remind my students that I am always happy to talk to them, and there is also a guidance counselor with whom to share their feelings. If I inform my students that there are plenty of people to talk to if they need help, perhaps issues could be dealt with before they become more serious.
Coral
Restrictions or increased monitoring of gun control can increase the safety of students when combined with school security polices and added guidance from teachers. Students should not have to live in a world where they are scared to go to school because of a possible shooting, and teachers should not have to be burdened with the responsibility of sacrificing their own life for their students because of guns.