By Kori Milroy
The recent Sandy Hook school massacre has brought about a nationwide focus on school safety and security. Ideas for improving security range from an across the board ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, to placing an armed guard in every school building. Some groups have called for teachers and/or administrators to be armed with guns or Tasers. What do teachers think about all this? [Click to download] Are they ready and willing to be armed? The nation’s two largest teachers’ unions released a statement opposing arming teachers, but some teachers have embraced the idea, filling up free firearms training sessions being offered in Ohio, Utah, and Texas.
On this episode of Teacher Talk, Chicago Public Schools teachers Conor Fitzsimmons and Jennifer Christiansen share their opinions on school safety and security, and the prospect of teachers carrying guns. Download the episode here or stream it below. to listen in on Kori, Conor’s, and Jennifer’s conversation about the vision, and add your own voice to the mix by leaving a comment here on the VIVA Teachers website, below this post.
This is the third installment of Teacher Talk, an ongoing series of conversations between teachers talking about education policy.
VIVA Teacher Leader Kori Milroy, host of Teacher Talk, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of charter schools with Rachel Douglas Swanson who teaches at LEARN Charter School in Chicago. Download the 30-minute podcast to listen in on a fascinating conversation about the misconceptions and challenges charters face. Learn about the differences between teaching at a charter and a traditional public school. Hear how Swanson felt when she got her first raise based on her performance. And get jealous when she talks about getting the things she needs to be an effective teacher.