From the New York Times on August 22nd:

“The Education Department is considering whether to allow states to use federal funding to purchase guns for educators, according to multiple people with knowledge of the plan.

Such a move appears to be unprecedented, reversing a longstanding position taken by the federal government that it should not pay to outfit schools with weapons. And it would also undermine efforts by Congress to restrict the use of federal funding on guns. As recently as March, Congress passed a school safety bill that allocated $50 million a year to local school districts, but expressly prohibited the use of the money for firearms.

But the department is eyeing a program in federal education law, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, that makes no mention of prohibiting weapons purchases. That omission would allow the education secretary, Betsy DeVos, to use her discretion to approve any state or district plans to use grant funding for firearms and firearm training, unless Congress clarifies the law or bans such funding through legislative action” (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/22/us/politics/betsy-devos-guns.html#click=https://t.co/vdFICrPDb5).

Federal funds for firearms for teachers. Who would have limited training at best. An idea from a lady whose brother ran Blackwater, a mercenary squad accused of killing  innocent civilians in Iraq while being paid as contractors.

But if you do think that arming teachers is a good idea, then consider this report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the paper I grew up reading every day:

What became clear: Accuracy with a firearm depends on training – and the police training is far more extensive, comprehensive and ongoing than anything that would ever be provided for teachers, including scenario practices. 

And the training is not just in how to use a weapon but how to manage stress in a deadly situation. This is not something that can be mastered in a three-day or three-week class. 

Yet, even with all of their training, it’s hard for police officers to hit a target and harder still in chaotic conditions. 

The New York Police Department is the nation’s largest police force and among the best trained, yet its own study showed between 1998 and 2006, the average hit rate was 18 percent for officers in a gunfight (https://www.myajc.com/blog/get-schooled/gunfights-trained-officers-have-percent-hit-rate-yet-want-arm-teachers/mDBlhDtV6Na4wJVpeu58cM/).

The New York City Police Department is literally one of the largest standing “armies” on the continent. Their police training takes place over months through their academy.

18% percent?

Ironic that the leader of “academic institutions” in the country does not even look at her suggestion from a purely academic perspective.

Teachers should not be armed.

Bottom line.