School Shootings

[systemnt]

quoting the professional antagonist to any and all topics is giving him a voice to those that have already put him in the 'doesnt matter' column.
please refrain.

[bowhuntntxn]

The above back and forth volley is a perfect example as to why no real solution is in sight.

No real time real life solutions are being offered up for debate. The conversation had degraded to the point of tell each other to shut up and leave. How can anything get done if people aren't willing to listen to opinions of others without writing them off as idiots?

THIS is why nothing can be done.

[Wall_Hanger]

I just wish the school district would provide a means to secure each classroom for the teachers. They have door jams that secure from the inside by either locking into the steel door frame or slide over the door spring to keep it from being opened. If they can secure a room from entry that's a starting point. Controlling access to the school and to each room would prevent a lot of this.

My wife is a teacher and I would feel better if she had anything to protect herself, even if it was bear pepper spray. The notion that you can't give a teacher a means to protect the classroom because they may lose it and use it on the kids is nonsense. You are already trusting them to spend more time with your kid each day than you do....they could already do whatever they want to them in the moment or premeditated.

What teachers really need is the flexibility and authority to recommend a kid for evaluation without fear of retribution. Schools need the ability to tell a parent that they no longer have the option to send their child to the school because of disturbing behavior observed by them or by others/law enforcement over a period of time. I believe that in the event disturbing and violent behavior is observed, police should have the ability to review the access to firearms that the kid has and in some cases seize them for the safety of everyone. Parents are responsible for their kids and should share some of the burden. Education is a luxury not a right.

[COACH_EM_UP]

The above back and forth volley is a perfect example as to why no real solution is in sight.

No real time real life solutions are being offered up for debate. The conversation had degraded to the point of tell each other to shut up and leave. How can anything get done if people aren't willing to listen to opinions of others without writing them off as idiots?

THIS is why nothing can be done.

Here is my solution. Allow teachers to be armed, if they so choose. Dont make it simply a district policy where each individual district can determine whether or not to allow conceal carry on campus and do not allow the district to fire, discipline, or discriminate against those teachers that want to carry. Each person that does carry must complete extensive training, background, and other classes before they are even allowed to attempt to apply to carry in their respective school districe. Make it where it is not a crime if the teacher decides to conceal carry in their classroom and they cannot be fired for choosing to carry a weapon, if they have had the required training and pass all requirements of the district. Add some sort of wording to this to the castle doctrine. Do I have the answer to what that language is? No, but I am not a lawmaker, nor I strive to be one. I am a coach and a teacher. I know a lot of districts allow you to carry in your vehicle, while on school property, but what the heck good does that do, if there is an active shooter in the school? Oh wait, let me run to my truck and grab my pistol and come back to chaos that is going on.

Now, I am not naive enough to think that this will stop all shootings, but I do think that it would be a deterrent to those that want to do it. I also think it would make the ones that want to do this to at least think twice before they carry it out. If this saves one student's life, isn't that worth it? That is just me as a teacher and a coach. As mentioned before, if this happened in our small school, I will be grabbing anything that I have in my classroom to use to try to stop the threat. I have a lot of groovy 3 dimensional cubes, spheres, cylinders, and cones and now that it is baseball season, my arm is in shape. LOL!

[BrandonA]

Here is my solution. Allow teachers to be armed, if they so choose. Dont make it simply a district policy where each individual district can determine whether or not to allow conceal carry on campus and do not allow the district to fire, discipline, or discriminate against those teachers that want to carry. Each person that does carry must complete extensive training, background, and other classes before they are even allowed to attempt to apply to carry in their respective school districe. Make it where it is not a crime if the teacher decides to conceal carry in their classroom and they cannot be fired for choosing to carry a weapon, if they have had the required training and pass all requirements of the district. Add some sort of wording to this to the castle doctrine. Do I have the answer to what that language is? No, but I am not a lawmaker, nor I strive to be one. I am a coach and a teacher. I know a lot of districts allow you to carry in your vehicle, while on school property, but what the heck good does that do, if there is an active shooter in the school? Oh wait, let me run to my truck and grab my pistol and come back to chaos that is going on.

Now, I am not naive enough to think that this will stop all shootings, but I do think that it would be a deterrent to those that want to do it. I also think it would make the ones that want to do this to at least think twice before they carry it out. If this saves one student's life, isn't that worth it? That is just me as a teacher and a coach. As mentioned before, if this happened in our small school, I will be grabbing anything that I have in my classroom to use to try to stop the threat. I have a lot of groovy 3 dimensional cubes, spheres, cylinders, and cones and now that it is baseball season, my arm is in shape. LOL!

I agree with this.

[Arrowslinger1]

Argyle has the same thing. I like it. They keep it anonymous who is carrying also.

[Dakota7493]

My school has a metal detector that kids go through in the AM. But were supposed to have secured doors too and I find them open at various times of the day. Mental illness is a real problem in the USA. I'm seeing more and more of it in kids over the past 18 years I've been working with them. What's the answer? Survival of the fittest in the animal world is kill or be killed. Can't drag them out back so what do we do? I have two kids of my own in elementary and I think about their safety every morning I drop them off because I know that they are on their own until I get home.

[Raleigh]

The fact is we (Americans) have more guns on the street and in our collective safes than most countries have in their armed forces. We live in a world were guns are prevalent. There is no easy solutions here mass shootings can happen anywhere. Money, education, and technology are tools that will help however self preservation is the key.

As a father of 5 I have always taught my kids not to be the victim. Keep your head on a swivel, speak your mind and holler if you have to, and know when to fight or flee.

[Artos]

Wife has received two robo-calls in the last 48 hours informing individual students went on social media threatening to shoot up campuses at McAllen School Dist...one or both are being held.

Unfreaknbelievable...

[systemnt]

Wife has received two rob-calls in the last 48 hours informing individual students went on social media threatening to shoot up campuses at McAllen School Dist...one or both are being held.

Unfreaknbelievable...

This actually plays into the point i was attempting to make on the other thread..with the ability to actually investigate and act on these types of things..

[ArcherAG 93]

I understand your point, but as long as the state controls schools, local districts will have to rely on the state to back these changes, and they wont under the current system. If a district doesn't pass a bond for that stadium, its not like they could choose to use that money elsewhere. There isn't enough local money to run the schools at the present level AND add in millions for safety. If the state makes safety the #1 priority, some of that state money will be earmarked for safety. Limited entry points into facilities, armed security, canines, faculty/staff training, security cameras, metal detectors...all of these things at way more than the current level will be required. There isn't MORE money to give to schools to provide this level of security, so money will have to be reallocated, and that will require state authority.

I'm the Police Chief for our ISD Police Dept. First, the change has to start at home. Next, see above.

[Dakota7493]

I work at an alternative school. We get numerous kids a year for social media reasons. Posting threats, bullying, just plain ignorance for the most part. But, I know for a fact we have kids here this year who were sent to us for bringing weapons to school. I don't think anyone realizes how close we are to having these issues on a daily basis in this country. We are a free nation with many rights. We have to accept that there is inherited danger with this. Other countries ban guns and still have shootings so lets not look to that as an example of what should be done. Our mental health stance needs an overhaul for sure and don't ask me how to do it.

[justintyme8303]

No. My point is Schools spend millions on stadiums, yet we can't afford proper security.

Understandable as most kids are involved in sports, not shootings.

Just pointing out where the real interest is to spend tax dollars.

Very true Austin ISD and Round Rock ISD both wanted millions for school budgets and both had new stadiums on the list of things to spend it on. Neither listed more security or better pay for teachers which i would have voted for.

[justintyme8303]

ISD need to take their own security measures. Waiting on Washington to do it is comical. Even if Washington made an attempt to improve security I wouldn't hold my breath it would work.

More Sheepdogs would have more of an impact than anything else IMO.

x2

[Dru]

Very true Austin ISD and Round Rock ISD both wanted millions for school budgets and both had new stadiums on the list of things to spend it on. Neither listed more security or better pay for teachers which i would have voted for.

You can't spend bond money on salaries or personnel. Oklahoma didn't pass a teacher pay raise bill and now plans on putting forth a bill that will cut education funding. The formula will be reduced by $13 per kid. We just passed a local bond for $17 million for a new Jr. High and remodeling the football field. We can not use any of that money to pay teachers.