Ark. district arming more than 20 teachers, staff

[The Straight Story]

CLARKSVILLE, Ark. (AP) — As Cheyne Dougan rounded the corner at Clarksville High School, he saw three students on the floor moaning and crying. In a split-second, two more ran out of a nearby classroom.

"He's got a gun," one of them shouted as Dougan approached with his pistol drawn. Inside, he found one student holding another at gunpoint. Dougan aimed and fired three rounds at the gunman.

Preparing for such scenarios has become common for police after a school shooting in Connecticut last December left 20 children and six teachers dead. But Dougan is no policeman. He's the assistant principal of this school in Arkansas, and when classes resume in August, he will walk the halls with a 9 mm handgun.

Dougan is among more than 20 teachers, administrators and other school employees in this town who will carry concealed weapons throughout the school day, making use of a little-known Arkansas law that allows licensed, armed security guards on campus. After undergoing 53 hours of training, Dougan and other teachers at the school will be considered guards.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ark-district-arming-more-20-teachers-staff

[pipoman]

1. I see nothing wrong with armed guards at schools..

under the circumstances..

[rdharma]

2. What could possibly go wrong?

[DreamGypsy]

3. It's not entirely clear from the article, but the "shooting" described is a training scenario...

...not something that actually happened.

From the USA Today report on the subject:

Recent training included a mock shooting in which Cheyne Dougan, assistant principal of Clarksville High School, pulled his 9mm handgun and fired three times to bring down a student holding a fellow classmate at gunpoint.

A photo of the exercise is available here:
A Clarksville schools faculty member, wearing a protective mask carries a practice handgun during an active shooter drill in the city's high school in Clarksville, Ark., as students portray victims.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. 53 hours of training...

Well it is better than none.

Nope, I can't imagine what could go wrong, and I hope it never does.

[Lizzie Poppet]

8. That's not an inconsiderable amount.

However, it wasn't clear how much of that training was in marksmanship and other tactical elements and how much was training in the law, etc. Federal Air Marshals (the standard to which I think educators should be trained, given the close, crowded confines of a classroom) get two weeks of training in law and procedures, then another two weeks of tactical training...then have to pass a very difficult combat marksmanship test.

This is my biggest issue with arming educators. How many have the inclination and the time to attain that level of skill and to maintain it with consistent, regular practice? For most people who do that, it's a full time job.

[Politicalboi]

5. Yes, he carries the gun till

10 or 20 students tackle him and take it. What could go wrong. I would take my kid out of schools that allow such insanity. Guns DON'T belong in school.

[MineralMan]

6. Counting down the time until some unarmed kid is shot

by one of these folks. I doubt it will take long.

[denverbill]

10. I hope none of the folks who support this are outraged when the first accidental killing occurs.

Maybe a kid who finds an unattended weapon, or a teacher who reaches into her purses and accidentally fires the gun.

It isn't a question or if, it's only when.

[Katashi_itto]

7. Won't work. Insurance premiums will go through the roof.

The schools will not be able to afford this.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. The school district is refusing to tell parents if their kid's teacher is armed. I find

that reason enough to leave the district.

http://www.4029tv.com/news/arkansas/School-won-t-tell-parents-which-teachers-will-bring-loaded-guns-to-class/-/8897494/21152838/-/khgwod/-/index.html

[meow2u3]

11. I can see disaster in the making

Worst-case scenario:

Teacher: Sit down and do your classwork.
Student: Hell, no, teach, I won't.
So teacher pulls out a pistol and plugs the student right in front of classmates.

[kestrel91316]

12. I cringe to think that they will be "responsible" gun owners like so many others and leave

loaded weapons where minors can get to them.........

[rdharma]

13. There is bound to be an "accidental discharge" involving one of these nimrods sooner of later.

Let's hope it's not a fatal one.