Is it time for Hoosier teachers to start carrying guns in the classroom?
President Trump, in wake of the Feb. 14 mass shootings at a high school in Florida that claimed 17 lives, has suggested it is exactly that time, and the practice is legal in Indiana as long as individual districts give their approval.
Educators' reaction, however, is mixed. One veteran of the classroom says she finds the idea "incredibly inappropriate." Another says she could support it — provided teachers are well and continuously trained.
Denise Sobieski of Terre Haute has been an educator for more than 25 years, and she opposes having armed teachers in schools.
"I think it's incredibly inappropriate," she said Tuesday. "I'm a teacher and I really don't think more guns in schools is going to solve anything."
While Indiana law makes it a crime to possess a firearm on school property, it has exceptions, one of which is persons who have been authorized by a school board, said Lisa Tanselle, attorney with the Indiana School Boards Association.
"A school board can allow a person to carry a firearm onto school property and that person then cannot be charged with a crime." She cited Indiana Code 35-47-9-1.
One Indiana school district, North White, located about 30 miles north of Monticello, allows for administrators to carry firearms after completing two training sessions, according to media reports.
"There are so many issues with it," said Sobieski, a science teacher at Terre Haute North Vigo High School. She said she is insulted that President Trump is willing to give teachers bonuses for carrying guns. "I'm not trained to do that. I'm a teacher ... people who are experts in safety should be doing that, and they are doing that."
Vigo County schools have armed protection officers at each school.
Holcomb, ISTA
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb is taking a cautious approach to the issue. In a statement, Holcomb said, "I firmly believe that we need to let our teachers teach and our law enforcement officials protect."
Holcomb's statement explained that he believes there is a significant difference between a person being trained to safely use a firearm and being prepared to take a human life under tremendous stress.
"I’m sure there are some teachers, staff, etc. that would be very capable, but I believe a slow and deliberative approach would be absolutely necessary, approved by each local school board," he said.
Jennifer McCormick, state superintendent of public instruction, echoed the governor's comments in her own statement. "As a Department, we remain committed to providing the resources and guidance our schools need to keep safety a top priority. Indiana must champion the educators’ focus on student learning and law enforcement’s focus on the tactical aspects of safety."
The Indiana State Teachers Association strongly opposes the arming of teachers.
According to Teresa Meredith, ISTA president, “Arming educators sends a signal that we are giving up and accepting this crisis as the new reality. Instead of arming educators with guns, lawmakers should start by arming our schools with more psychologists and counselors so kids dealing with trauma get care before they become broken. Educators need to be focused on teaching our students. Together — parents, educators, lawmakers, community leaders — need to come up with real solutions that really will save lives.”
Training, respect, more training
Rochell Reberger, an English teacher at Northview High School in Brazil, believes arming teachers could serve as a deterrent to school shootings, as long as the teacher is well trained, receives continued training and has a "healthy respect" for the equipment. She has a lifetime concealed carry license for firearms.
"I think it is an option to be considered. I am not saying all teachers with CCLs [concealed carry licenses] should grab their weapon and bring it to the classroom. There are those in every business who should never be allowed to carry a gun, be it post office, courthouse, grocery store, or school," Reberger stated.
"However, there are responsible, level-headed, teachers who could absolutely be trusted — with extensive and continuous professional training — to be another line of defense."
She added, "I cannot yet come down 100 percent in favor of it. If I were asked to carry today, I would have to give it serious thought and receive serious training, but if your kid were one door past mine, an active shooter were to start down my hall and I could stop him or her before he or she got to my door — or one door past mine — I think it deserves some serious examination.
"It is expected that our teachers will take a bullet in defense of their students, and in many instances they have — it's just something to consider," Reberger said.
'Worth a debate'
Jim Mann, a social studies teacher at Terre Haute South Vigo High School, believes the issue "is worth a debate. It's hard to teach social studies and not encourage debate; out of debate comes ideas and hopefully solutions."
But, Mann added, "I do not see myself carrying a firearm. I see my role as one to teach kids, to challenge them to thinking in a manner they maybe haven't thought in a way before. I don't see myself as doing all that and in one split second having to turn around and use a firearm."
Mann said he puts a lot of faith and trust in school administrators creating appropriate plans and actions for safety.
He's not just an educator, he's also a parent of a school student. "As a parent, I'm concerned, obviously, about the safety of schools. Like everyone else, we send our child to school, we trust he will be in a safe learning environment."
One thing he believes is important is for teachers to develop caring, trusting relationships with all students. "It's easy to like the likable kid, but great teachers find a way to like the unlikable kids," he said. One concern he has about arming teachers is the impact on students.
"What is going on with kids' psyche ... if a teacher has a gun? How can you have that relationship of building trust when they know you have a weapon? Mann asks.
Another concern with teachers carrying firearms, or having them in the classroom, is who potentially might have access. Mann said he is 5-foot, 8-inches and he worries about being overpowered by someone bigger and stronger.
If it was locked up, "How quickly could I get to it?" he said. South has a school protection officer, something he said he's comfortable with; they have the knowledge and education to respond to security threats.
At Southwest Sullivan
At Southwest School Corp. in Sullivan, Superintendent Chris Stitzle said he is not in favor of arming teachers in schools. "I think you have to be a highly trained individual to be involved in that kind of thing. That's why we've added the security we have."
More than a year ago, the district hired LawMan Security and Consulting, which provides armed school resource officers at each of the three school properties [Sullivan Elementary/Middle School; the high school and Carlisle Elementary]. LawMan uses "active-duty law enforcement officers," according to its website. The officers are off duty when working as LawMan school resource officers, Stitzle said.
Having the highly trained school resource officers "is the best way to go in my opinion," Stitzle said.
Trainer's view
Steve Ellis, who owns Top Guns in Terre Haute, said that within the next few weeks, he will offer free training to teachers and administrators on how to respond to an active shooter situation; the first will be primarily a non-firearms course, although participants will receive some firearms instruction.
As an example, "God forbid if a school resource officer goes down, I want them to have enough knowledge about how to get a gun out of the holster and use the firearm," he said.
Also, if a school corporation has an interest in arming some of its educators, Top Guns will offer training at no charge. First, those educators would be evaluated to make sure "they are a good fit" for the program and have the right survival mindset, Ellis said. "They would have to be willing to put up a fight and put themselves between the potential gunman and students."
Once those educators are "extremely prepared, we'll call in local authorities for a qualifications course," he said.
Ellis said he is passionate about training people "and making sure the right people are trained and students are as safe as possible."
One student outspoken on the topic is Lucus Bendzsa, a senior at West Vigo High School, who supports arming teachers in schools and even advocated for it in Indianapolis this week by lobbying legislators at the Statehouse.
Bendzsa said he was appalled by the mass shootings in Florida. In a letter to the Tribune-Star, he wrote, "It is time we take a necessary step in order to protect our schools: arming teachers."
He believes that one armed officer in a school is not enough, particularly if something happened to that officer. "Arming teachers for better response times, and a second line of defense, only makes sense."