Kayleigh Smerud Pd.1

 After the deadly shootings at a school in Newtown, Connecticut last year, school security is a topic of concern. Due to fear and lack of preparedness, some teachers have begun taking self-defense training to better protect themselves and students in case of a shooting. Some teachers and parents believe that this training and guides on what to do should be mandatory for teachers. This training not only focuses on how to hide from an intruder, as previously taught, but how to disarm the intruder. For some teachers this is almost revolutionary as it is not in the usual job description. A teacher is quoted saying "If they're not safe, then it doesn't matter what we do from an educational standpoint." This statement summarizes the issue generally.

As the world seems to become increasingly unsafe, it is not unheard of for a schools safety to become compromised. This is a growing problem and due to recent events in Newtown, parents are becoming weary of sending their children away for a whole day when they may not be completely safe. However, the alternative possibilities are slim. Adding increased security in schools would be beneficial for everyone. It would put school workers, parents, and students at ease. Then, in the unfortunate case that something were to happen, teachers would be prepared to handle it. After all, we have fire drills and tornado drills, shouldn't we practice for these increasingly more common events as well?


Source: 

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/living/schools-teacher-shooter-defense-training/index.html?hpt=hp_t3