Contemporary Issue in Education Arming our Teachers Linda Behrends Introduction to Teaching INTASC Standard, Description and Rationale Standard #5 Application of Content The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues. Name of Artifact: Contemporary Issue in Education Research Project Date: November 7 th, 2013 Course: EDUC 101 Brief Description: For the Current Issues in Education Research Project I chose to use a PowerPoint presentation with many pictures to help engage my audience with my topic of Arming Teachers. Rationale: To document my understanding of Standard #5, Application of Content, I selected Arming teachers as my current issues to engage my audience in my presentation of facts and personal views, and to receive their personal views as well. Overview The issue is whether or not allowing teachers to carry concealed firearms would benefit the safety of our children in the event of a school shooting. Is it too dangerous for our teachers to carry a concealed weapon while they are teaching? The teachers are selected, trained, and strategically placed throughout the school. Their identities are unknown to anyone. Indiana Law Has Permitted Teachers to Carry a Concealed Handgun since 1994 Innocent lives will be spared and our classrooms and communities will be a safer place to live, learn, work, and play (Nugent, 2012). Pros When police response time is high, someone is there to protect students until the police arrive. Knowing that a teacher is armed makes the school less likely to be targeted. https://www.facebook.com/RBACP/photos_stream vote-on-allows-teachers-to-carry-guns-at-school https://www.facebook.com/RBACP/photos_stream The school Improvement Network Surveyed over 10,600 educators in all 50 states 68% of schools have increased security 33% are locking more doors 10% are increasing police presences 72 % said they would not bring a firearm to school 88% said an armed guard would improve safety 37 % said their school has some type of armed guard 5 % said their school has added full time police (District Administration, 2013) Cons Cross Fire / Friendly Fire Even trained police officers, on average, hit their intended target less than 20% of the time (Rostron, 2012). Teacher as 1 st Victim If the person attacking a school knows that teachers may be armed, that would simply make the teacher most likely their first victim (Rostorn, 2012). Perception of Danger 2,143 Elementary or secondary school students were expelled for bringing or possessing a firearm at school(Rostront, 2012). "As a society, do we really want our teachers to be prepared to shoot children, perhaps killing them? (Rostron, 2012) https://www.facebook.com/RBACP/photos_stream Would arming teachers help prevent so many deaths in school shootings? Would having armed police or guards be better ? References Nugent, T. (2012). Arming Teachers Is Necessary to Reduce School Violence. In L. I. Gerdes (Ed.), Opposing Viewpoints. Juvenile Crime. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from Human Events, 2009, October 8) Rostron, Allen, and Brian Siebel. "Arming Teachers Will Not Reduce School Violence."Juvenile Crime. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "No Gun Left Behind: The Gun Lobby's Campaign to Push Guns into Colleges and Schools."Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 13 Nov Survey: Do Teachers Feel Safe in School? (2013). District Administration, 49(4), Weaver, L. (2013). Arming school employees: Odessa American (TX).