Franklin Schargel’s Blog

I want to thank all of you who have purchased and read Preventing School Violence:

A User’s Guide making it a national best-selling book dealing with school safety. According to Amazon, it is the # 338 best-selling book on school safety, the # 3570 best-selling book in Educational Administration.

 I particularly want to thank the 10 individuals who took the time to read and write a review of the book. Their reviews follow:

5.0 out of 5 stars Critically Important Book

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2022

Verified Purchase

This is a must read book for anyone concerned about education. Mr Schargel views our schools as part of the larger system of society rather than as separate entities detached from the larger reality. His solutions to preventing school violence are based on understanding this critically important fact. There are things schools can do, and he discusses them in detail. But the real solutions can only be found when we are willing to look at how all of society functions and make the changes necessary to give children a healthier overall environment in which to live.

Ruth Ash

5.0 out of 5 stars THE Most Helpful Guide to Preventing School Violence

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

This Guide to Preventing School Violence can make a tremendous difference in the lives of children, not something this reviewer can say about every education book. Schargel’s newest book is a must-read for teachers, administrators, policy makers, and everyone who cares about children. The author’s practical advice builds upon best practices that some educators and policy makers may already know, but the facts, information, and tips will be new to most people. This is one of THE best books in my library!

Happy Camper

5.0 out of 5 stars A Valuable Resource

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2022

Verified Purchase

This is a valuable resource for those seeking information on violence in our schools.
Rather than call for new rules or regulations, this important resource identifies ways to take action and therefore lessen the potential for violence. I highly recommend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Confronting the Inconceivable

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2022

School administers and teachers are consumed with improving outcomes: how do we improve students’ writing and math skills? Ability to analyze and create? Recruit and retain the “best and the brightest” teachers? Upgrade curriculum? We avoid even thinking about school violence. It is too frightening and depressing, and, after all, it can never happen in “my” school. Franklin Schargel’s Preventing School Violence: a User’s Guide tells us “it” can happen in any school and we must plan, just as we plan for curriculum development and hiring teachers. The book is highly personal, based upon long experience in schools as well as a thoughtful plea, just as we carefully plan for lessons we must treat school safety with as much care and dedication.

Take a few hours, read Preventing School Violence and ask: is our school prepared for the inconceivable? Are we planning to avert life changing catastrophes? And, if not, why not?

EM

5.0 out of 5 stars Parent-approved

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2022

This is an inclusive and comprehensive look at the prolific and insurmountable challenges facing our families and schools. You know the saying: “Parenting doesn’t come with a manual” -imagine if someone sought to chip away at the insurmountable – Enter the User’s Guide to Preventing School Violence. I found this book supportive, informative, and empowering. I hope schools and families pick this up and run with it, together!

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E.W. Bales

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Valuable Resource for Reducing School Violence

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2022

Franklin Schargel’s latest book “Preventing School Violence” provides a roadmap to address the greatest fear of every Parent, Teacher and Administrator in every School in the World. This book provides multiple ways to reduce the possibility of injury and death while Children are in or around school buildings. The quizzes and guides provide concise checklists to assess the safety of our Schools. And the resource listings alone are worth the cost of this book. It is a valuable resource for everyone concerned about the lives of Children.

Charles Sosnik, The Learning Counsel

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a must read

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2022

This is a must read for every educator in America. And every administrator in America. And every parent in America. And every law enforcement officer in America. And every school counselor in America. And every school bus driver in America. And every citizen in America. And every…

Did I leave anyone out? Most school violence incidents are preventable. Virtually every school mass shooting was preventable. All these horrible incidents. All the stress among our students. All the stress among school personnel. And parents.
How much is preventable? And if so, then let’s prevent it.

I challenge everyone that sees this post to buy a copy of Franklin’s book, and then share this post with everyone you know that either works in the education space or has children who attend school.
Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide. Let’s buy it. And use it.

Melinda Strickland

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by an expert

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2022

Franklin has once again shared his expertise with great success. Valuable insight is shared while he draws readers in to take active role in the reading and taking action. Detailed strategies and tools are provided in this step-by-step hands-on guide for all participants in preventing school violence. A perfect guide for anyone with our students’ safety as a priority. Well done Franklin!

Dr. Jennifer Massey.

Franklin has done it once again!

Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide offers an excellent alternative for Professional Development in school settings that will inform educators about the issues preventing student from achieving academics succuss while providing realistic strategies to inform and bring about change.  This book provides the kind of information that can be used for collaboration among schools, parents, students, and other stakeholders who can come together to finally discuss issues that are prevalent among today’s youth. Understanding that what goes on in students’ world outside the school building often follows them into the educational setting.  Franklin explains the potential problems with suggestions for interventions. Teachers struggle daily searching for strategies that will enable them to reach and teach students. This book is a must read for those teachers. And for parents who feel at a loss as to how they can be proactive and not reactive when faced with issues their children experience, this guide is a promising resource. As a school social worker in a public school, former Dropout Interventionalist, Administrator and Classroom Teacher in public and private school, I found myself cheering the actionable, preventive measures outlined in in this Guide.

Thank you, Franklin, for reminding your readers that schools are the safest places for students to be.

I want to thank all of you who have purchased and read Preventing School Violence:

A User’s Guide making it a national best-selling book dealing with school safety. According to Amazon, it is the # 338 best-selling book on school safety, the # 3570 best-selling book in Educational Administration.

 I particularly want to thank the 10 individuals who took the time to read and write a review of the book. Their reviews follow:

5.0 out of 5 stars Critically Important Book

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2022

Verified Purchase

This is a must read book for anyone concerned about education. Mr Schargel views our schools as part of the larger system of society rather than as separate entities detached from the larger reality. His solutions to preventing school violence are based on understanding this critically important fact. There are things schools can do, and he discusses them in detail. But the real solutions can only be found when we are willing to look at how all of society functions and make the changes necessary to give children a healthier overall environment in which to live.

Ruth Ash

5.0 out of 5 stars THE Most Helpful Guide to Preventing School Violence

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

This Guide to Preventing School Violence can make a tremendous difference in the lives of children, not something this reviewer can say about every education book. Schargel’s newest book is a must-read for teachers, administrators, policy makers, and everyone who cares about children. The author’s practical advice builds upon best practices that some educators and policy makers may already know, but the facts, information, and tips will be new to most people. This is one of THE best books in my library!

Happy Camper

5.0 out of 5 stars A Valuable Resource

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2022

Verified Purchase

This is a valuable resource for those seeking information on violence in our schools.
Rather than call for new rules or regulations, this important resource identifies ways to take action and therefore lessen the potential for violence. I highly recommend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Confronting the Inconceivable

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2022

School administers and teachers are consumed with improving outcomes: how do we improve students’ writing and math skills? Ability to analyze and create? Recruit and retain the “best and the brightest” teachers? Upgrade curriculum? We avoid even thinking about school violence. It is too frightening and depressing, and, after all, it can never happen in “my” school. Franklin Schargel’s Preventing School Violence: a User’s Guide tells us “it” can happen in any school and we must plan, just as we plan for curriculum development and hiring teachers. The book is highly personal, based upon long experience in schools as well as a thoughtful plea, just as we carefully plan for lessons we must treat school safety with as much care and dedication.

Take a few hours, read Preventing School Violence and ask: is our school prepared for the inconceivable? Are we planning to avert life changing catastrophes? And, if not, why not?

EM

5.0 out of 5 stars Parent-approved

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2022

This is an inclusive and comprehensive look at the prolific and insurmountable challenges facing our families and schools. You know the saying: “Parenting doesn’t come with a manual” -imagine if someone sought to chip away at the insurmountable – Enter the User’s Guide to Preventing School Violence. I found this book supportive, informative, and empowering. I hope schools and families pick this up and run with it, together!

Helpful

E.W. Bales

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Valuable Resource for Reducing School Violence

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2022

Franklin Schargel’s latest book “Preventing School Violence” provides a roadmap to address the greatest fear of every Parent, Teacher and Administrator in every School in the World. This book provides multiple ways to reduce the possibility of injury and death while Children are in or around school buildings. The quizzes and guides provide concise checklists to assess the safety of our Schools. And the resource listings alone are worth the cost of this book. It is a valuable resource for everyone concerned about the lives of Children.

Charles Sosnik, The Learning Counsel

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a must read

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2022

This is a must read for every educator in America. And every administrator in America. And every parent in America. And every law enforcement officer in America. And every school counselor in America. And every school bus driver in America. And every citizen in America. And every…

Did I leave anyone out? Most school violence incidents are preventable. Virtually every school mass shooting was preventable. All these horrible incidents. All the stress among our students. All the stress among school personnel. And parents.
How much is preventable? And if so, then let’s prevent it.

I challenge everyone that sees this post to buy a copy of Franklin’s book, and then share this post with everyone you know that either works in the education space or has children who attend school.
Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide. Let’s buy it. And use it.

Melinda Strickland

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by an expert

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2022

Franklin has once again shared his expertise with great success. Valuable insight is shared while he draws readers in to take active role in the reading and taking action. Detailed strategies and tools are provided in this step-by-step hands-on guide for all participants in preventing school violence. A perfect guide for anyone with our students’ safety as a priority. Well done Franklin!

Dr. Jennifer Massey.

Franklin has done it once again!

Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide offers an excellent alternative for Professional Development in school settings that will inform educators about the issues preventing student from achieving academics succuss while providing realistic strategies to inform and bring about change.  This book provides the kind of information that can be used for collaboration among schools, parents, students, and other stakeholders who can come together to finally discuss issues that are prevalent among today’s youth. Understanding that what goes on in students’ world outside the school building often follows them into the educational setting.  Franklin explains the potential problems with suggestions for interventions. Teachers struggle daily searching for strategies that will enable them to reach and teach students. This book is a must read for those teachers. And for parents who feel at a loss as to how they can be proactive and not reactive when faced with issues their children experience, this guide is a promising resource. As a school social worker in a public school, former Dropout Interventionalist, Administrator and Classroom Teacher in public and private school, I found myself cheering the actionable, preventive measures outlined in in this Guide.

Thank you, Franklin, for reminding your readers that schools are the safest places for students to be.

I would appreciate it if those of you who have read  the book would consider writing a review for Amazon.

Many thanks.

Franklin

I had the distinct honor of delivering an international podcast for Wings For Life International on Friday, June 10, 2022.

The mission of Wings for Life is International is to Transform Lives to Break The Generational Cycle of Incarceration for both children and families.

Here’s the full interview for you to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7QUjMpAydo

The link to the podcast is:

(6) Live w/ Author Franklin Schargel – “Preventing School Violence” Wings Week in Review – YouTube

I asked a dear friend, educator and mother her views about the horrendous massacre in Uvalde, Texas.

Dr. Jennifer Massey, is a School Social Worker & Dropout Prevention Specialist in Georgia.

What follows are her views and the views of her family. I am indebted to her for her posting.

As I reflect on the devastating and tragic massacre that occurred on May 27, 2022, beginning at approximately 11:30 am on what would have potentially been the last day of school for so many children, which was also the last day of school for my twelve-year-old grandson who attends a rural school in Georgia.

As a school social worker, a grandmother, mother, and aunt, I immediately thought, “Oh, my God, this could have happened to my grandson, granddaughter, great niece or great nephews today.” I immediately felt myself feeling depressed, anxious, mad, confused, vulnerable and that feeling of secondary PTSD was overwhelming.

Since the horrendous massacre, I wake up every morning thinking, “what can we do to stop this kind of killing spree from happening ever again?” My mind twirls faster than I can jot down my thoughts as I am consumed with a feeling of depression. I cannot help but begin to cry as I think of the shooter having to pull the trigger every single time he shot one of those students or teachers. That is a vision that, although I was not there in person, I can visualize and I am overcome with fear, sadness and rage.

I am enraged because I see very little being done to protect our students who go to school to learn, see their friends, find food to eat and worst of all to be safe. Yes, safe from the environments many of them come from. But, because of bureaucratic nonsense that our schools do not provide the resources to protect our students, MY family.

In my grandson’s school district, we have one school resource officer (SRO) for four schools. The SRO is posted at the high school. It takes nine minutes to drive to the elementary school my grandson attended. These are the schools I also served as a school social worker. It is very easy for a GUN, KNIFE, homemade device or any other weapon to be brought into the school- AND IT HAS HAPPENED!!!!!!

In my opinion, there were many signs that this perpetrator was unstable and could potentially harm others. He was already practicing self-harm. Why? What happened to him that would make him want to kill young, innocent children? I want to understand. I need to understand. I lie awake at night trying to understand why this keeps happening. WHY in the United States of America does this continue to happen????

I am not willing to accept the excuse that there is not enough money to secure every school in America to ensure that when parents or other caregivers send their children on the bus or drive them to school every day that they will not have to fear a tragedy happening.

While looking for solutions, I do not believe, for many reasons, that teachers should be allowed to have a gun in the classroom. Teachers are already overwhelmed with responsibilities above and beyond teaching the curriculum to their students. And, by the way, MANY, MANY teachers are on medications to treat their own mental illness. Arming teachers should not be a consideration.

I, myself, cannot help but wonder if my grandchildren, nieces and nephews will be safe in a school building. Neither my grandson, or nephew are afraid to attend school. They feel safe to go to school and are not distracted by the most recent school shootings. My niece, on the other hand, is very sensitive and more emotional about what she hears regarding school shootings. Can any of us feel safe walking out of the door of our own home anymore? We, as human beings owe it to ourselves and others to get to the root causes of the violence, especially gun violence that is plaguing our country and our children.

Dr. Jennifer Massey
School Social Worker Dropout Prevention Specialist

The death of any child or educator in a mass school shooting is one death too many.

Educators, students & parents want, need, and deserve a safe learning environment. No community is immune from school violence. And schools are supposed to be places where children are safe and secure. If schools cannot be safe than learning cannot take place.

The horrendous events in Uvalde, Texas resulting in the deaths of nineteen 9- & 10-year-old children and two teachers who sacrificed their lives protecting them have shaken the nation and the world.

What follows is a list of mass school shootings that have taken place in the United States up until June 4, 2022 of 4 or more victims.

Thurston High School.
Columbine High School.
Heritage High School.
Deming Middle School.
Fort Gibson Middle School.
Buell Elementary School.
Lake Worth Middle School.
University of Arkansas.
Junipero Serra High School.
Santana High School.
Bishop Neumann High School.
Pacific Lutheran University.
Granite Hills High School.
Lew Wallace High School.
Martin Luther King, Jr. High School.
Appalachian School of Law.
Washington High School.
Conception Abbey.
Benjamin Tasker Middle School.
University of Arizona.
Lincoln High School.
John McDonogh High School.
Red Lion Area Junior High School.
Case Western Reserve University.
Rocori High School.
Ballou High School.
Randallstown High School.
Bowen High School.
Red Lake Senior High School.
Harlan Community Academy High School.
Campbell County High School.
Milwee Middle School.
Roseburg High School.
Pine Middle School.
Essex Elementary School.
Duquesne University.
Platte Canyon High School.
Weston High School.
West Nickel Mines School.
Joplin Memorial Middle School.
Henry Foss High School.
Compton Centennial High School.
Virginia Tech.
Success Tech Academy.
Miami Carol City Senior High School.
Hamilton High School.
Louisiana Technical College.
Mitchell High School.
E.O. Green Junior High School.
Northern Illinois University.
Lakota Middle School.
Knoxville Central High School.
Willoughby South High School.
Henry Ford High School.
University of Central Arkansas.
Dillard High School.
Dunbar High School.
Hampton University.
Harvard College.
Larose-Cut Off Middle School.
International Studies Academy.
Skyline College.
Discovery Middle School.
University of Alabama.
DeKalb School.
Deer Creek Middle School.
Ohio State University.
Mumford High School.
University of Texas.
Kelly Elementary School.
Marinette High School.
Aurora Central High School.
Millard South High School.
Martinsville West Middle School.
Worthing High School.
Millard South High School.
Highlands Intermediate School.
Cape Fear High School.
Chardon High School.
Episcopal School of Jacksonville.
Oikos University.
Hamilton High School.
Perry Hall School.
Normal Community High School.
University of South Alabama.
Banner Academy South.
University of Southern California.
Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Apostolic Revival Center Christian School.
Taft Union High School.
Osborn High School.
Stevens Institute of Business and Arts.
Hazard Community and Technical College.
Chicago State University.
Lone Star College-North.
Cesar Chavez High School.
Price Middle School.
University of Central Florida.
New River Community College.
Grambling State University.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School.
Ronald E. McNair Discovery Academy.
North Panola High School.
Carver High School.
Agape Christian Academy.
Sparks Middle School.
North Carolina A&T State University.
Stephenson High School.
Brashear High School.
West Orange High School.
Arapahoe High School.
Edison High School.
Liberty Technology Magnet High School.
Hillhouse High School.
Berrendo Middle School.
Purdue University.
South Carolina State University.
Los Angeles Valley College.
Charles F. Brush High School.
University of Southern California.
Georgia Regents University.
Academy of Knowledge Preschool.
Benjamin Banneker High School.
D. H. Conley High School.
East English Village Preparatory Academy.
Paine College.
Georgia Gwinnett College.
John F. Kennedy High School.
Seattle Pacific University.
Reynolds High School.
Indiana State University.
Albemarle High School.
Fern Creek Traditional High School.
Langston Hughes High School.
Marysville Pilchuck High School.
Florida State University.
Miami Carol City High School.
Rogers State University.
Rosemary Anderson High School.
Wisconsin Lutheran High School.
Frederick High School.
Tenaya Middle School.
Bethune-Cookman University.
Pershing Elementary School.
Wayne Community College.
J.B. Martin Middle School.
Southwestern Classical Academy.
Savannah State University.
Harrisburg High School.
Umpqua Community College.
Northern Arizona University.
Texas Southern University.
Tennessee State University.
Winston-Salem State University.
Mojave High School.
Lawrence Central High School. Franklin High School.
Muskegon Heights High School.
Independence High School.
Madison High School.
Antigo High School.
University of California-Los Angeles.
Jeremiah Burke High School.
Alpine High School.
Townville Elementary School.
Vigor High School.
Linden McKinley STEM Academy.
June Jordan High School for Equity.
Union Middle School.
Mueller Park Junior High School.
West Liberty-Salem High School.
University of Washington.
King City High School.
North Park Elementary School.
North Lake College.
Freeman High School.
Mattoon High School.
Rancho Tehama Elementary School.
Aztec High School.
Wake Forest University.
Italy High School.
NET Charter High School.
Marshall County High School.
Sal Castro Middle School.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Great Mills High School. Central Michigan University.
Huffman High School.
Frederick Douglass High School.
Forest High School.
Highland High School.
Dixon High School.
Santa Fe High School.
Noblesville West Middle School.
University of North Carolina Charlotte.
STEM School Highlands Ranch.
Edgewood High School.
Palm Beach Central High School.
Providence Career & Technical Academy.
Fairley High School (school bus).
Canyon Springs High School.
Dennis Intermediate School.
Florida International University.
Central Elementary School.
Cascade Middle School.
Davidson High School.
Prairie View A & M University.
Altascocita High School.
Central Academy of Excellence.
Cleveland High School.
Robert E. Lee High School.
Cheyenne South High School.
Grambling State University.
Blountsville Elementary School.
Holmes County, Mississippi (school bus).
Prescott High School.
College of the Mainland.
Wynbrooke Elementary School.
UNC Charlotte.
Riverview Florida (school bus).
Second Chance High School.
Carman-Ainsworth High School.
Williwaw Elementary School.
Monroe Clark Middle School.
Central Catholic High School.
Jeanette High School.
Eastern Hills High School.
DeAnza High School.
Ridgway High School.
Reginald F. Lewis High School.
Saugus High School.
Pleasantville High School.
Waukesha South High School.
Oshkosh High School.
Catholic Academy of New Haven.
Bellaire High School.
North Crowley High School. McAuliffe Elementary School.
South Oak Cliff High School.
Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Sonora High School.
Western Illinois University.
Oxford High School.
Robb Elementary School.

Pearl High School

Palo Duro High School

Rigby Middle School

The school shootings have taken place in urban. suburban, and rural schools. Private and parochial schools have not been exempt. People believe that it cannot happen in their communities – that they are exempt. The killers have proven them wrong.

This is a uniquely American experience. Thirty states have experienced mass school shootings. No other country has had as many mass school shootings as this country. Children and teenagers in the U.S. are 15 times  more likely to die from gunfire than their peers in 31 other high-income countries combined, according to the Children’s Defense Fund. Thirty states have experienced school violence. According to USA Today, There were 249 shootings on school grounds last year – more than any other year since 1970. So far this year, there have been 137 incidents of gun fire on school grounds. In 2020, firearms became the leading cause of youth death among children and teenagers overtaking auto accidents. Prior to the shooting in Uvalde, there had been 27 people killed, 77 wounded and 21 with other injuries in shootings on school ground in 2022.

We have been here before and we will be here again. Many of us believed that after Sandy Hook Massacre, in Newtown Connecticut in 2012, something would be done to stop these senseless killings. Instead, some politicians are saying people need to offer  “thoughts and prayers.”  Thoughts and prayers will not stop bullets from weapons of war. Federal and state politicians must be held accountable for their inactions.

But politicians alone are not the only ones responsible. We all are! We have not unelected those responsible for doing nothing to protect the future of this country. In the 2020 election, only 66 percent of the population voted.

I appeared on Focus on New Mexico discussing my book, Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide. The book has added importance because of the tragic events in Uvalde, Texas.

It aired on June 3rd and June 5th, 2022.

I was sent this by my good friend, Dr. Anthony Dallman-Jones. “Tony” is the Director, At-Risk and Alternative Education MAE Program – MarianUniversity.edu.

Used with permission

Today, I read that Ohio is passing a law to arm teachers, and requiring only 5% of the training that police officers receive. And only 1/6 of that 5% is on gun handling – four hours.

We need to step back and objectively look at what will happen if we arm teachers…the list is practically endless. The obvious “surface issues” are the ones that most politicians are interested in… the soundbite mentality. “Protect our children!” Who could disagree with the phrase? People who only see this must dislike thinking too much. And, if ever there was an issue in education I would want people thinking a LOT about, it would be around the concept of officially implanting guns into the school environment.  

Let’s examine some of the issues that arming teachers would raise – issues that politicians in favor of this fail to list. Often the side issues will overpower and undermine what some call the “Central Issue” – in this case, teachers packing guns to protect themselves and their students. 

 Here are a few of the side issues to consider:

 1)     There ARE teachers simply not mentally fit to do this. You have had them. I have had them. Think of all your teachers: I bet you can easily name the ones you would not want in charge of a pistol in their classroom! 

2)     Guns being stolen by students… teachers’ desks get rifled (no pun intended) all the time by students. (Many would agree that you would not lock up your pistol, or why have it?)

3)     Every professional who wears a gun will tell you this: Never “pull” a gun unless you are ready to shoot someone immediately! If you start waving a gun around more than likely it will be taken from you, then used on you – and probably others. 

4)     Stray shots, poor aim, ricochets, traveling bullets (right through the drywall and into the next classroom). 

5)     Training of teachers to utilize guns…this takes MUCH time. Some schools have over 100 faculty. Shooting ranges are few and far between.

6)     Cost of guns…ammo…holsters – who will pay for it?

7)     Failure to do proper gun maintenance/ammo rotation/ammo choices: Hollow points? Bird shot? Dumdum bullets? 

8)     What do you do if a kid sneaks it from your holster, drawer, purse, or closet, and starts waving it around? This WILL happen.

9)     Insurance! Think of Blue Cross Blue Shield and State Farm clauses on this for a laugh.

10)  The gun goes home with the teacher and makes it accessible to children, spouses, and accidents.

11)  Every teacher’s house has a big red X over it – a target for break-ins because thieves KNOW a gun is there for the stealing.

12)  Special training: More than likely the specific situation a teacher will face will not have been covered. It won’t be a comic book story. The bad guy won’t wear a black T-shirt with big white block letters that say, “I am the shooter! Shoot me right here! ===> X <===.”

13)  A BIG ONE: You have to be mentally prepared to take a life. Teachers are, by nature, in the service of improving lives, not taking them.

14)  What kind of mindset does it create in a kindergarten teacher toting a pistol around while teaching children how to print?

15)  How much time will this take away from an already overstuffed curriculum day?

16)  How will this impact a classroom’s learning atmosphere?

17)  What is the ultimate effect on this noble profession? When we intelligently start something, we should know how it ends.

18)  75% of teachers are women…are they going to have a gun on their hip, in a shoulder holster, in their purse?

19)  Whatever issues I have listed here can probably be doubled with all the issues I have yet to think of.

 A big takeaway here is that, as usual, we are trying to make teachers – who are set up to be fairly powerless outside of their content areas – responsible for society’s ills. With a gun.

 So, the answer to the headline of this article: “NO” to the idea of strapping guns on teachers. 

Another response is: “Really a dumb option!” (and schools stand against dumbness as a rule.)

I will be appearing on Focus on New Mexico, this Friday, June 3, (KNME New Mexico Public Television, Channel 5 from 7 PM-8 PM.MT) discussing How to Prevent School Violence.

The show  deals with the horrendous events in Uvalde, TX and as well as violence in New Mexico’s schools and steps I recommend preventing school violence.

For those of you who live outside of New Mexico who would like a copy of the broadcast send me an email at [email protected]

I will be delivering two presentations at the Southeastern Conference on School Climate on June 7th. The presentations are based on my new, best-selling book, Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide.

The presentations will be at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Savannah on Tuesday, June 7th. The conference is sponsored by Georgia Southern University.

If you are attending stop by and say hello