Friday, December 21, 2012

Licensed to Teach

So I guess the NRA says the answer to stop school shootings is more guns, joining the smattering of elected officials who recently have promoted the idea of arming teachers and principals. This approach is wrong.

If a place like Ft. Hood, TX which has some of our planet's most deadly weapons carried by some of our planet's most deadly professional soldiers, can be reduced to carnage by a single armed assassin, then what makes The NRA think that arming a nation of just-right-book loving, denim jumper wearing, wooden apple bead necklace creating, white board marker toting school teachers (and the rest of us) will be effective?

You want to arm me? Good. Then arm me with a school psychologist at my school who has time to do more than test and sit in meetings about testing.

Arm me with enough counselors so we can build skills to prevent violence, have meaningful discussions with students about their future and not merely frantically adjust student schedules like a Jenga game.

Arm me with social workers who can thoughtfully attend to a student's and her family's needs so I. Can. Teach.

Arm me with enough school nurses so that they are accessible to every child and can work as a team with me rather than operate their offices as de facto urgent care centers.

Arm me with more days on the calendar for teaching and learning and fewer days for standardized testing.

Arm me with class sizes that allow my colleagues and me to know both our students and their families well.

Arm my colleagues and me with the time it takes to improve together and the time it takes to give great feedback to students about their work and progress.

Until you arm me to the hilt with what it will take to meet the needs of an increasingly vulnerable student population, I respectfully request you keep your opinions on schools and our safety to yourself NRA. Knock it off.

99 comments:

  1. Beautifully said MC! Two thumbs way up from this retired SPPS teacher!

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  2. This is great! Unfortunately your plan doesn't make much money for anyone in power.

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  3. Well said!! Regards...

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  4. Amen! The ending is a little harsh for what I believe needs to be a civil and respectful dialogue - but hallelujah for what educators truly need to be armed with! We truly do need more resources to provide services for our kids. I can personally attest to systems that don't provide enough ... or anything for kids who need it. I know elementary school students who are crying out for help, their parents are crying out for help and often times NO HELP is given. I've spent countless hours advocating for 6 and 7 year olds to be told my only option is to continue to suspend to the point of expulsion. These are babies! We need counselors and nurses in our schools, we need school psychologists who do more than test - our kids need help and caring communities. I'd rather be armed for the future with those resources than 100 security guards with weapons. The reference to Texas is right on, not to mention the Aurora, CO shootings that also did not take place in a "gun free zone." Invest in our future, put the money where it REALLY matters.

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  5. All I have to say to your blog post is DITTO. Wonderfully written, every word.

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  6. You are a bit misinformed about the availability of weapons at a military base. Soldiers do not walk around armed all the time. In fact, they are required by regulations to store their arms at the base armory when not at the firing range which means the soldiers at Ft. Hood are generally just as unarmed (in fact likely more so) than most civilians in any major town. Had the soldiers been armed during the attack at Ft. Hood, that lone assassin would have been stopped a lot sooner than he was. Instead, like in most civilian towns, he was allowed to keep shooting until the police force showed up.

    Besides having your facts wrong about Ft. Hood, you are also using the classic misdirection tactic of taking a tragedy and the response to it by an organization you don't like and using them to advocate for completely unrelated issues. What of all those "tools" you listed would have stopped or reduced the magnitude of the tragedy in Newtown? From what has been reported so far, there is absolutely no connection between smaller class room sizes, class schedules, or available school nurses that caused or would have prevented the horrible attack that occurred. A gun in the hands of a teacher certainly would have had more power to save lives than teachers having more power to give "great feedback".

    The points you make about what is wrong in schools do have some validity. Your lame attempt to connect those points to the shooting in Newtown and statements by the NRA is not valid and is quite frankly offensive as you are using a tragedy to push for your union. I respectfully request you keep your union agenda off the graves of the innocent children who were slaughtered in Connecticut. In other words, "Knock it off."

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  7. Well said and straight to the oint - I am so glad you wrote this!
    Pernile Ripp

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  8. While I agree that teachers need to be provided more assets so they can do their job, I also know that had the teachers been armed the crazy gunman would have been put down before he killed all those children. words and ideals are great but when you are up against a crazy with a gun a glock works better.

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  9. While I agree that teachers need to be provided more assets so they can do their job, I also know that had the teachers been armed the crazy gunman would have been put down before he killed all those children. words and ideals are great but when you are up against a crazy with a gun a glock works better.

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  10. While I agree that teachers need to be provided more assets so they can do their job, I also know that had the teachers been armed the crazy gunman would have been put down before he killed all those children. words and ideals are great but when you are up against a crazy with a gun a glock works better.

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  11. Replies
    1. Would you ever say "Allows I" ? No. The use of the objective pronoun is correct. The subject being compound does not change anything-it seems you could have used more great feedback from teachers. Next time you try to be snide towards a teacher, think twice before making an ass of yourself.

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  12. Extremely radical ideas, Mary Cathryn! Well done!

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  13. Allows my colleagues and I is funny, but beside the point. :) Adam George hit it on the head, as far as your points -- they're all great and accurate, but don't apply to the NRA and the shootings. Also ... the ending was misguided. Free speech is certainly something you teach in the schools.

    Not sure how to stop future mass shootings in schools. Probably can't. It's such a rare thing, maybe we should focus on shootings in Chicago -- not rare at all.

    Also ... the main thing schools need besides more psychologists, nurses, and counselors -- is teachers. Who. Are. Allowed. To. Teach. I liked that one a lot. You went to Finland -- you saw that was the number one difference between them and us, and the number one benefit their teachers have. Curriculum guidelines, then get out of the teacher's way. Makes sense.

    Thanks for the blog, keep on caring.

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  14. Allows my colleagues and I is funny, but beside the point. :) Adam George hit it on the head, as far as your points -- they're all great and accurate, but don't apply to the NRA and the shootings. Also ... the ending was misguided. Free speech is certainly something you teach in the schools.

    Not sure how to stop future mass shootings in schools. Probably can't. It's such a rare thing, maybe we should focus on shootings in Chicago -- not rare at all.

    Also ... the main thing schools need besides more psychologists, nurses, and counselors -- is teachers. Who. Are. Allowed. To. Teach. I liked that one a lot. You went to Finland -- you saw that was the number one difference between them and us, and the number one benefit their teachers have. Curriculum guidelines, then get out of the teacher's way. Makes sense.

    Thanks for the blog, keep on caring.

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  15. ....there weren't school shootings a hundred years ago and there were no gun laws then either.....but there were still large classrooms (of numerous grades and there was no nra back then.....explain yourself

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  16. ....there weren't school shootings a hundred years ago and there were no gun laws then either.....but there were still large classrooms (of numerous grades and there was no nra back then.....explain yourself

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  17. That's all well and good, but none of that would have stopped the tragedy in Connecticut since that was not the result of a student gone awry.
    If you choose not to be armed that is your right, and I totally respect that. However, I know several teachers that would prefer to be able to defend themselves and their wards against evil. Why is your choice more right than theirs?
    For my own children, I'd prefer they be in the room with a teacher armed with bullets.

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  18. Thank you! You have put into words what I have thought over and over. I couldn't have said it better! I teach at the elementary level. I love my colleagues, but I can't think of one of them that I would choose to have armed on my campus. My children attend the school that I teach at and would never allow them to go to a school where teachers were armed.

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  19. I'm curious about any of your colleagues' responses (particularly males) to your characterization of teachers as wearing denim jumpers and making necklaces. :)

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  20. To the people who want armed teachers in classrooms: you are assuming that only students suffer mental illness. How would you recommend we 'prevent' them from being the shooters? Arm the students?

    "They are required by regulations to store their arms at the base armory" And where exactly would teachers be required to store their weapons in school? And if highly trained soldiers couldn't act fast enough to avoid so many deaths, what makes you think teachers will?

    "What of all those "tools" you listed would have stopped or reduced the magnitude of the tragedy in Newtown?" It's called prevention. Identification and intervention before a person goes so deep into despair or untreated mental illness that taking out innocent lives seems like the only option. A network of professionals that can 'catch' the signs of distress before it's too late.

    There are many groups out there brandishing Newtown's tragedy to advance their specific agendas. I find the NRA's agenda the most offensive of them all.

    And last but not least, how do you stop a crazy person without a gun? Exactly.

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  21. To the people who want armed teachers in classrooms: you are assuming that the threat will always come from outside the schools. How would you suggest we 'ready' schools to prevent an attack from a teacher with mental illness? Arm the students?

    "They are required by regulations to store their arms at the base armory" And where exactly would teachers be required to store their weapons in school? And if highly trained soldiers couldn't act fast enough to avoid so many deaths, what makes you think teachers will?

    "What of all those "tools" you listed would have stopped or reduced the magnitude of the tragedy in Newtown?" It's called prevention. Identification and intervention before a person goes so deep into despair or untreated mental illness that taking out innocent lives seems like the only option. A network of professionals that can 'catch' the signs of distress before it's too late. Read the posting by HealthyGirl for an inkling.

    There are many groups out there brandishing Newtown's tragedy to advance their specific agendas. I find the NRA's agenda the most offensive of them all.

    And last but not least, how do you stop a crazy person without a gun? Exactly.

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  22. Clarification: How do you stop a crazy person who doesn't have a gun? Exactly.

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  23. I completely agree with the principles you mention. The glaring grammar errors by the PRESIDENT of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers tripped me up though. Please tell me you know the proper uses of I/me! Let our words be impeccable examples to those we teach.

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  24. I'm with the comment by Raise the Bar--please edit this blog post to say "arm my colleagues and me", not "my colleagues and I". You wouldn't say "arm I"--that's how you check to see if it's I or me. Beautiful statement otherwise, thank you.

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  25. Except people weren't carrying weapons on Fort Hood. Military Police are allowed to remain armed, but those deadly 'assault weapons' that soldiers use are secured in armouries. Adam George really hit on the head.

    Using it as an example is useless.

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  26. Good points, but I would also add "arm me with the knowledge of when to use 'me' instead of 'I.'" How can we expect our children to get this right when a teacher does not?

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  27. as a mother of children with special needs, Mary, I appreciate and agree with everything you say. I wish you were running for Senate.

    and I am sorry for all the naysayers, whose arguments are neither logical nor supported by the psychological and social data.

    You have my enthusiastic support

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  28. Oh God. YOU'RE the one who started this?

    The NRA never suggested arming teachers.

    You THINK deliberately misquoting the NRA makes you sound smart.

    It doesn't.

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  29. Thank you for speaking out. You give a voice to the views of what I believe is a silent majority. The comparison you offer to Fort Hood is quite telling. No matter how loud and ugly the rancor becomes, it cannot change facts. God bless you and all the teachers that are working hard to protect, care for, and educate our children. You make a difference every day.

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  30. Forgot to add!

    Rachael lied to you. Or severely misled you.

    Nidal Hasan began his shooting spree in a location on the base where everyone was UN-armed. Contrary to popular belief, you can't tote a handgun with you just anywhere you want to on a military base.

    Notably, Nidal was ONLY stopped when he was shot 5 times.

    Now I -know- no one will believe me. I'm not on MSNBC and I don't have an audience that I talk down to. So I encourage anyone and everyone to look up the circumstances of the Fort Hood shooting on the Wikipedia.

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  31. "Arm me with class sizes that allow my colleagues and I to know both our students and their families well."

    Arm me with with a grammar teacher, so that I know when to use "I" and when to use "me."

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  32. "Arm me with class sizes that allow my colleagues and I to know both our students and their families well."

    Arm me with a grammar teacher who knows when to use "I" and when to use "me."

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  33. Arm me with some consistency so that when I write consecutive paragraphs, I don't write "my colleagues and I" in the sixth one and "my colleagues and me" in the seventh one. (Hint: "me" is correct in this use.) Also, a comma right before "NRA" is missing. Other than that nitpicking, I'm 100% behind this statement.

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  34. I agree with every one of your complaints about a systemic lack of funding for ancillary resources; but, I believe that it is unfair to lay the blame at the feet of an organization that is not responsible for any of the cited deficiencies in the school system... You may complain about the NRA's suggestions; but, *they did not underfund the schools*. As a rational person, you should be directing your vitriol at your local State and Municipal Representatives!

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  35. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  36. I agree with every one of your claims about the systemic under-funding and resultant deficiencies in the school system; however, I believe it is unfair of you to lay the blame at the feet of an organization that has nothing to do with the problems you cited... You may disagree with the suggestions of the NRA; but, a rational person would recognize that your vitriol should instead be directed at your local Municipal and State Representatives, and the people that voted them (and all their predecessors) into office, and allowed education budgets to be slashed!

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  37. As much as I have issues with teacher unions, I support this 100% Maybe if we could fire the few loser teachers, the great teachers could be trusted to put their arms around a troubled student and give them the hug they needed that day. Maybe if we were allowed to let the great teachers excel and dump the slackers that just fill time, kids who come from troubled homes would find a safe haven in a classroom at least a few hours a day. Let's bring good old American competition into the schools, maybe we wouldn't need charter schools if the teachers knew we trusted them to teach, to discipline, and to handle common sense kid stuff. We would trust more if we were confident a wacko union wasn't allowing teachers to continue way past their time, having antiquated ideas, loss of hearing, and no more patience to give to a demanding career. Teachers hands are tied with laws that have swung too far the opposite direction, parents that won't admit their kid is a pain in the tush, and government crap that demands reports. I can't even read a stupid report card anymore! They are 4 pages of charts, graphs, and statistics!

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  38. Class sizes, staffing demographic, hours, etc., have nothing to do with the NRA. Whether you agree or disagree with them, their stated mission is to protect the second amendment. They don't stray from that and certainly don't focus their lobbying efforts on the education system. Somehow, I doubt you would be in support of the NRA expanding their efforts to influence the Department of Education, their curriculum, etc.

    Approximately 1/3 of public schools have police officers in them today. What were your thoughts in 2000, when Bill Clinton expanded the 1994 Community Oriented Policing Services Program by $40 million in response to Columbine, to put more police officers in schools?

    Also, what are your thoughts on executive order #18, that Barrack Obama just passed for schools to hire School Resource Officers, which the White House has said can be used for Armed Security Guards at the school district's discretion?

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  39. Why do you presume that those who wish to arm teachers are not the very teachers who will be armed. I've been a teacher for 3 decades. My wife is also a teacher. Most of our friends are teachers. The vast majority of those would have no qualms about being armed. We have no compunction whatsoever against stopping a threat will all the force necessary. But, hey you little story is cute.

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  40. Well said and thank you for saying it! Brian,MSW

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  41. So, My response to MC is too long to post as a "Comment". If you want to learn something, please go here to read more and reply if you like.
    http://www.hisstoryun.blogspot.com/

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  42. And this would have stopped Adam Lanza how? You can preach your happy little fairy tale all you want, but the fact is that you need and armed defender to defeat an armed attacker. We should not be 'arming' teachers, but we should not be 'disarming' teachers either. If a teacher, or any other fine upstanding judge approved citizen has carry permit, then they should be permitted to carry everywhere. Adam Lanza can be stopped, but not with words or laws or gun free signs. If you are serious in your efforts to save lives then you must first stop spreading your ignorant propaganda. You are actually killing people with this article. Yes, you.

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  43. God knows we dont want anything like this to make the front page news.

    Atlanta middle school student shot, wounded
    http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/31/us/georgia-student-shot/index.html

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  44. MC, it might be a good idea to put up a new post with your thoughts.

    Several commenters have ... well, handed you your behind.

    From dismantling your claim that the NRA said they wanted armed teachers to pointing out that Obama thought the NRA's (actual) idea calling for more Resource Officers is a good idea, your post has lost most of its momentum.

    In a lot of spots quoting it, there are a good number of folks pointing out that "the NRA never said that."

    Maybe some accuracy and honesty is called for in a wholly new updated post.

    What do you say? Lock comments on this. Nothing personal, but you lost the battle and you've simply got to try a new salvo with better ideas and more honest ideals.

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  45. Thank you for pointing out the vast needs in our schools. The day they tell me that I must be armed is the last day that I work as a teacher. Having dangerous weapons in a school where children live their daily lives, (many of whom have poor impulse control or come from abusive homes), is a recipe for disaster.

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  46. First off, your nonsense starts off by asserting that 'guns aren't the answer' by referencing Ft Hood. Did you know that carrying weapons on base is prohibited? As well trained as these soldiers where they just had no chance against an armed gunman. If that reminds you of teachers and students in so many school shootings it should. If you went further into the Ft Hood shooting you would realize that as soon as 2 armed people (one soldier and one civilian police officer) returned fire the threat was neutralized. Who knows how many soliders were saved by having fire met with fire.
    As for psychologist? Are you aware that Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech) and both Eric and Dylan (Columbine) had all been seeing psychologists? Are you also aware that Eric had been prescribed medication in association with that contact? Could you also provide some sort of evidence that the magical 'psychologist' that you ask for would be of any help in school shootings like Sandhook where the shooter was a random person off the street?

    Do you honestly assert that mass school shootings are occuring because the students dont have appropriate skills to prevent violent? Your point not only has a complete lack of any logic or evidence but it then goes on to do what teachers hate most. Dumbing down the job of people that work hard everyday to help children. Counselors do alot more than just schedule adjustments.
    Most social work doesn't occur to middle class or upper middle class families. Did you know that is where most student shooters orginate from? Do you also realize this wouldn't help in a situation like Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook or the Bath School Massacre?
    Again, you bring in your own agenda instead of dealing with school security when you being to talk about teaching days versus testing days, class size, professional development, etc. What does this have to do with your original topic? I might not be an English teacher but I think I would count off for straying from the topic at hand.

    Last, the schools do not belong to the teachers. Your condescending attitude is sickening. The schools belong to the children and to the taxpayers. Like it or not, members of the NRA are both students, parents and taxpayers.

    Because snide teachers, like yourself, cannot come up with legitimate ways to protect the students under your care and resort to silliness like this the protection of our children is being left up to others. Sham on you.

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  47. Thank you so much for saying this so elegantly and with so much truth. As a current special education teacher in an urban school district (Philadelphia), your words resonate so powerfully with me. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

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  48. This New England teacher thanks you for such a clear and accurate statement. Stand firm...be strong...you are not alone.

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  49. Very nicely put. It's going viral on Facebook, now, you know.

    Were I you, I'd slap a copyright notice on it, and maybe even file with the Copyright office, to prevent misuse.

    Well said. Well put. Right on. For the children.

    Amen.

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  50. "keep your opinions on schools and our safety to yourself NRA."


    Spoken like a true union thug.
    I'll tell you what, since the 4 million members of the NRA don't have a right to express their opinion, I respectfully request you keep union money and influence out of the political process ok?

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  51. I agree with Adam George. I can't say it better nor do I really have anything to add to it.

    On a separate note, the ending to your statement is out of place in my opinion. The NRA is comprised of parents and as parents, they have a right to interject their opinion on schools and safety. As a parent myself, I am concerned about my children's education and safety and I will express those concerns and my opinions to teachers, administrators and the school board until I am satisfied. As a parent, its my duty.

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  52. I do like this approach but the argument over the Ft Hood masscre is invalid. Soldiers don't carry weapons 24/7 when in the states. The only ones that are armed when not at a range are MPs and they only have 9mm.

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  53. 1) "If a place like Ft. Hood, TX which has some of our planet's most deadly weapons carried by some of our planet's most deadly professional soldiers, can be reduced to carnage by a single armed assassin"

    Those soldiers were not armed. On base, its standard practice to keep the weapons locked up in the armory. I know its ironic, but aside from the MPs and outlying training areas, military bases are "gun free" zones just like schools. Teachers should avoid such ignorance - it telegraphs to your more educated readers that you don't know what you are talking about. And in the 2nd paragraph.

    2)" keep your opinions on schools and our safety to yourself NRA. Knock it off."

    Its too bad you had to take a partisan swipe at the NRA. While people in your circles may cheer, to the rest of us it looks like a Teachers Union is using the dead children of Newton as props to get more money.

    Meanwhile, the the Newtown Board of Education has unanimously voted to hire armed police officers for each school

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  54. And in case I wasn't clear:

    Using dead children as props to advocate more support staff, more calender days, smaller class sizes, less standardized testing, etc... is obscene and pathetic.

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  55. The Newtown School Board, the school closest to this tragedy, has voted to put armed guards in their schools.

    Perhaps the author thinks they shouldn't be expressing their opinion either.

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  56. Hi there: Love your post!! We are on a mission as well to get the word out on how we can all work to make our families, communities and country a safer place-starting in your own sphere of influence. Pleaes see: http://www.facebook.com/thesafetool and http://safetool.azurewebsites.net/brunnerk Would love your feedback on the S.A.F.E. Tool and how you would go about getting the word out to teachers, parents and more.
    Thanks!

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  57. Does not look like the links took:

    The S.A.F.E. Tool Or our webpage: More on the S.A.F.E. Tool

    A common sense, public awareness campaign created in response to the Newtown tragedy. The SAFE Tool team wants to start a conversation about what everyday citizens can do to recognize at-risk situations and create a safer environment in their communities.

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  58. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  59. Yeah, that's all true, but I've been thinking about this (especially as my own boys have displayed troubling signs) and I think it really comes down to a lack of respect for human life. Life has been devalued so much, through legalized abortion, legalized euthanasia, violent movies/tv/video games/"songs", that increasing numbers of people automatically go to the "kill" option when they have a beef with someone. THAT's the poisonous root of the increasing violence we see. Until we address that root, all other remedies are going to be mere band-aids.
    Oh, and btw, no one is proposing to FORCE teachers to be armed. The proposal is to ALLOW trained teachers who are former law enforcement or military personnel to carry their registered weapons. Let's try to keep in mind the difference between "force" and "allow"; they're quite distinct.

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  60. I understand now why Mrs Ricker took a shot at the NRA. The teachers union wants many things - more nurses, less standardized testing, smaller class sizes, etc.

    But putting police in the schools is going to cost money, money that would have otherwise gone to the Teachers Union pet issues listed above.

    So this is less about protecting our kids and more about protecting Union turf.


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  61. You said it perfectly. Thanks!!

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  62. I wish both sides of each contested issue would just SHUT UP and Listen to one another for a minute.

    First, it is SILLY to insert one's own opinion while stating that someone or some organization should keep their own opinion to themselves.

    Second, as an educator, you want to be seen as a professional and a professional should be extremely diligent in spell checking.

    However, just because someone mis-spelled a word does not invalidate the entire idea.

    Again, it is also important to understand and know the facts before trying to draw an analogy. We as American have a great deal of confidence (which is amazing) without a great deal of humility (not so good) and so, most of us enter into political discourse without the most necessary tool, the possibility that we might not always be right.

    I would also, however, point out that a teacher with a gun is USELESS if the teacher doesn't know how to use it or is afraid to use it. The military training our soldiers receive includes training under stress and under fire. Unless teachers have similar training, there is no reliable way to predict how the teacher will react. Hell, I own guns and I would have no idea how I would react. I would like to think I would come to the aid of others and be a man and put a stop to the carnage, but I have never been tested in such a way and the possibility is there that I would cower in the corner or would put all the kids in the closet and hid with them.

    Finally, I am a little worried about arming a teacher in today's classroom, where the students have less and less respect for the profession and push further and further on the teacher. My fear is if you arm a teacher who has a student who knows exactly which buttons to push and doesn't know when to quit, you could end up with a dead student.

    Teaching is a hard job, made all the more difficult by parents who don't respect the effort it takes and the sacrifices one makes to become a teacher. What is worst is a teacher who is overconfident and parents who shut down and discount what the teacher is saying as soon as a mistake is made.

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  63. The sad part about all of this is that it goes on on all the time and is increasing in frequency. Aside from all the hyperbole is the sad fact that you have a subset of the population that is identified by a common marker and is having their beliefs/rights put under attack under under the guise of being virtuous, simply because they are now in a minority when it comes to public opinion and have a easily identified national group that acts as a voice for their particular value set.

    At its core this is no different than taking away rights based on the color of ones skin, their sexual orientation, religion, etc. As most people are not willing to put the time in to form their own opinions, they simply go around repeating what someone else told them as fact, regardless of whether their is any validity to it in the first place. This problem feeds exponentially on itself, especially in the digital age, and turns into what we have here.

    The gay community went through this during AIDS crisis of the 80's and set them back at least a decade in their fight for equal rights. When AIDS was "only" killing gay men and IV drug users, the public majority didn't really care. Once "innocent" people started to die from it via bloods transfusions, etc., the public opinion switched and as they had a national voice that IV drug users didn't, it fed on itself and they were once again under attack. They begin to attach all kinds of unrelated issues that were in the public minority to the gay communitt. Its no different here as the "underbelly" of society has all but been under attack from gun violence for a long time. But the majority of public opinion doesn't hold people such as gang members or drug dealers as "innocent", nor do they have a visible national voice to speak for them. Once enough of these "innocent" people died, the public majority became lopsided enough in their opinion to start the chain off.

    This is going on in many other areas right now. A good example is religion. As their numbers are much larger, and their national voice more fragmented, it will simply take longer. But you will eventually see the right of separation of church and state come under attack. What is largely a good population that contributes good to society will be held to bear the cost and reputation damage of a fringe element that does not represent the large majority of that group.

    The author of this piece is likely to be a victim of this as well in the future. Our public education system, which was once the envy of the world, has continued to erode in its effectiveness. Eventually, the public will demand action and the teachers union will likely bear the brunt of it when public opinion puts them in the minority. You can see it starting already with some of the changes like we have seen in Wisconsin. They will become the voice of a group that will then be out of public favor and quickly become the "problem".

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  64. FYI, your post is viral on tumblr with 3.6k notes.

    This was a great read. People always argue that funding education doesn't work because they've already tried, but that's bs. Education has always been left in the dust through socioeconomic bias and low funding in general. If the positions of education and military expenditures were switched, we wouldn't have half the problems we deal with right now on two fronts.

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  65. Yeah, Why do people like the NRA think they can go around sharing their opinion?

    How dare they!

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  66. I think the comments are a better read than the original post! I have to gives some props to the rational people who commented, the original blog post and at least half the people who posted here come across like bunch of snooty blow hearts. That and I hope most of you guys don’t educate students on the same level you post your comments at. I am pretty sure no one is going to hand out weapons to teachers at random. Why not have armed guards protecting schools and a few good qualified teachers who are armed? You don’t have to have a police state to keep children safer. On top of that, let’s just get the Federal Government out of it and let communities set their own standards.

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  67. I for one owe my life to teachers. They battle for the student, they battle for creativity, they battle the paper work.....and get no support from the school SYSTEM I agree with Ross follow the money your plan does not make an one rich except the student.
    In a class room I learned I had a value. My teachers had time to read my writing. My parents only knew poverty of spirit, addictions and violence.
    I would do anything in my power to clean up parliament and have teachers run the country.....instead of power and fear from the politicians
    B R A V O Notes from MC you have my vote

    ReplyDelete
  68. I think the notion of putting a gun in the desk of every teacher is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. Having said that...

    OK, so you want more psychologists, more social workers, more counselors, more nurses, more teaching days, more time, and more teachers. All of which means a lot more tax money, some of which is paid by those who happen to be members of the National Rifle Association – some of whom may also have children in your classes. They are part of a collective group of people who pay your salary, which makes them, in part, your bosses. As such, I'm not certain you have a right to tell them to keep their opinions to themselves.

    If you want your boss to shut up, I would suggest you do what we in the private sector do...go be your own boss and start your own school.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Sounds like we have an angry teacher that wants to take it out on the NRA.
    She's blaming the wrong people since the NRA is about preserving the 2nd
    amendment, and firearms education.

    I don't remember having or needing psychologists or armies of counselors,
    social workers, and cadres of school nurses working as a "team" with the
    teachers when I was in school and we had a generation that turned out
    pretty decent.

    If I was a rotten, disruptive little twit my teacher called my mom and mom
    took care of it…corporal punishment at school and more corporal punishment
    when I got home. A few good butt whippings didn't damage my tender psyche a bit.

    Bullying…yes we had it but I don't remember anyone shooting or getting shot; I
    don't remember anyone offing themselves over it. Usually what happened is that
    the bully found out pretty fast that he wasn't as bad as he thought he was and a
    punch in the nose cleared up his misconceptions.

    Instead of throwing rocks at the NRA, perhaps this teacher should take a closer
    look at the NEA and all their liberal, PC bull. Perhaps if she were allowed to bend
    the little miscreant across the desk a swat his butt with a paddle things would be
    different. Perhaps if parents started parenting things would be different. Perhaps
    if every child's mom was like Dr. Carson's mom things would be different. Perhaps,
    if families decided that it was more important tor the children to be disciplined and
    educated than to have a vacation to Disney World every summer; to live in a huge
    house and own a bunch of stuff that requires both parents to work two or more jobs
    to pay for it things would be different. Perhaps if moms considered parenting a full
    time career things would be different. And, perhaps if teachers that are dumber than
    their students; teachers that can't or won't teach could be fired maybe things would
    be different. And maybe, just maybe, if we the people decided that we could get it
    done without the pervasive government tit …things would be different.

    Mary Cathryn Flicker, President of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers needs to
    take a closer look at herself and her teachers union if she wants to fix what ails
    education…it isn't the NRA.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Love the sentiment.... but, disappointed in the grammar mistake -- especially from a teacher!!
    Par. 6 should be my colleagues and ME not and I.

    Message excellent but the mistake takes away from your credibility.

    ReplyDelete
  71. I like this, and was going to repost it, but I can't with the grammatical error. Please fix the line toward the end so that it reads "...class sizes that allow my colleagues and me...". We don't need any unnecessary reasons for people to attach us. Thanks.

    Marcia Tanner
    mdtanner@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  72. ooops -- make that "attack" in my post -- sorry

    ReplyDelete
  73. Hi
    I'm a fellow blogger on Blogspot. Are you saving your posts and how are you doing it. I seem to save the website on my hard drive when I try to save a blog or blogs. I'm reduced to printing the blog entries which seems pretty luddite to me.
    ANYWAY THNX

    ReplyDelete

  74. The information that you provided was thorough and helpful. I will have to share your article with others.

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  75. Yep. What you ask for would help a lot.

    Much as I hate the NRA, there is not a problem with guns as such, it is the American attitude to guns and life that is the problem.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Thank you for writing this. I wrote something similar on my blog at the time. We don't need armed teacher or armed staff with guns.

    ReplyDelete
  77. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  78. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
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  80. Teaching is the most important professions I think, goodluck to you and more power!

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  82. Anyone who thinks an inanimate object is the problem, instead of bad parenting cannot be firing on all their cylinders. There is not enough money in the world to fix what bad parenting creates. Going after an inanimate object instead of the true cause is beyond idiotic, it is delusional.

    ReplyDelete
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  85. Arm me with knowledge to correctly use "me" instead of "I" when appropriate! (Arm me with class sizes that allow *me* to know both our students and their families well."

    If we talk about teachers, let's do it in a way that shows we are able to correctly share grammar with our students!

    ReplyDelete
  86. Yes, what Vicki said! I was just coming to tell her to correct her grammar from "I" to "me." Let's make the message be effective from an educated sounding teacher!

    ReplyDelete
  87. If you want to be taken seriously (especially as a teacher), you might want to include proper grammar and punctuation.

    ReplyDelete
  88. I hope you will not mind my attempt at a translation of your post into a poem:

    A Teacher’s Call for Arms

    (In response to President Trump)

    I do not want your pistols,
    Your shotguns,
    Your revolvers,
    Or your rifles.
    If you must arm me,
    Arm me with psychologists,
    With time to talk, not test.
    Arm me with social workers,
    Who have understanding.
    Arm me with mental health nurses
    Who have knowledge.
    Arm me with more time to reflect,
    with smaller classes,
    with more time to teach.
    Go ahead,
    Arm me.

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  92. The Facebook post quoting this still contains the grammatical error.

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