I’m a Teacher. Don’t Ask Me to Stop a Mass Shooting. I Can’t.
The Trump administration is standing behind the idea of arming educators. But I don’t want to be a hero.
By Sarah Chaves
On a recent Tuesday morning, my school principal came on the intercom to announce we would be practicing an emergency management drill. The drill required that no students be allowed to leave the room, but instruction was to go on as usual. Other drills are more inhibiting, though. A more restrictive drill requires me to lock my door and windows, turn off the lights, ignore bells and alarms, and gather the students away from all entry points until notified by announcement.
Later that afternoon, I sat on a rickety blue chair at a desk dotted with old gum, gulping down my packed sandwich in the 25 minutes allotted for lunch. I thought about asking my colleagues what they thought about the effectiveness of the drill, but I imagined the room would get quiet — mouths full, pulses quick. I didn’t want to feel more powerless and panicked than I did when we last talked about the latest school shooting. Instead, I asked whether everyone had finished their Christmas shopping.
I don’t hold the power that President Trump does with 280 characters, nor do I possess the persuasion of the NRA…
