Hey teachers: quiet in the schools, please!

Hey Teachers: quiet in the schools, please!

Since the tragic events at Sandy Hook elementary many people have requested that teachers be armed. I fully support this since I have young children and want them to be safe. Like millions of other parents, we send our kids off to school each day knowing they are safe and hope they have a good day each and every time we send them off. School shootings are nothing new. Back in the 1990’s, President Bill Clinton wanted to have armed guards in the schools to keep the kids safe. The NRA has a program called The Shield Program to arm the teachers. Many have flocked to get their concealed carry permits.  Many have been on the news to publicize the fact they are concealed carry holders and carry in the schools.

It’s awesome that so many teachers are carrying concealed or looking to earn their permits. There is just one issue I have with the media frenzy over this. By going on the local and national news outlets you just lost your tactical advantage to carrying concealed and could yourself become a target of an active shooter. If there is an active shooter planning a shooting at the school where you teach and they are familiar with your school, they now know where a threat resides and could target you and your students first. Do not give any reason to stand out!

The news media outlets are a good deterrent to use for sure. However, let others be the name and face for the media. The less the public knows about you, the better. Let the district public relations group, second amendment advocates, shooting groups or another party be the spokespeople for this topic. By remaining anonymous you will gain the tactical advantage and will keep the element of surprise against an active shooter.

Think of it this way, when you see a “hyper tactical” individual that looks like they are going on a safari in Wal-Mart or a person wearing a shirt that says “Keep Calm I Carry”.  What’s the first thing that comes to mind? That person is armed and carrying a firearm should be the answer. What about the person who is in plain, everyday casual wear, not advertising anything out and about with their family? I dress this way and I’m always carrying concealed! I try to blend in and not stand out as best as I possibly can. Would this make me a target for the criminal element? It may or may not, but if so, then I am prepared for an encounter. Are you?

Let’s cover the topic of training and what should be considered by all teachers and school district employees that carry in the schools. Most school districts require the employees to have a certain amount of hours of training and they need to keep the firearms on their persons at all times. In my opinion the training should these courses: The NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course, Concealed Carry Permit Course, Personal Protection Inside The Home and Personal Protection Outside The Home (both the basic and advanced course). This will provide an estimated total of 36 hours of both classroom and range time instruction. It will also provide the school district employees with the knowledge/skills necessary to counter any threat they encounter in both their personal and professional lives. Ideally this should be on a volunteer basis for the school district employee and not mandated by the state.

Due to the political climate, there are some that believe an armed teacher is a bad idea. This is just pure ignorance at its worst! Teachers who are well trained and carry are the best line of defense for their classrooms. Keep in mind; if there is an active shooter, the teachers are not going to run out into the halls with guns blazing. Just the opposite! In an active shooter situation the concealed carry holders should barricade and in a safe location, behind cover, protect themselves and those in their immediate area. If all the students are locked in the classroom with an armed teacher, the active shooter does not have a target rich environment and the AS is in fear of kicking in a classroom door because of the armed teacher, a tragedy can be avoided. The first responders will have the situation resolved shortly after they arrive.

So teachers, how do you feel about the tactical advantage of keeping your names and faces out of the press? I think it’s a great idea! The bad guys don’t know your name, they won’t recognize your face and you are in total concealment. Now that’s the best tactical advantage to protect our precious little ones we entrust in your care every day.

For those who live in Utah and are interested in the courses we offer, please visit our website at Utah CCWTraining.  For those who live outside of Utah and are looking for NRA courses, please visit the NRA Courses site.