Arming 718,000 US Teachers? That’s an Army We Don’t Need — or Want
Trump wants to arm 20% of teachers to address school shootings. But why should teachers be armed combatants?
By Ross Barkan
Before I fell into journalism and writing, I taught in classrooms. In college, I studied to be an English teacher, and I was a substitute teacher in New York City. It was a gratifying experience that came just before the most recent wave of horrific school shootings, including Sandy Hook and Parkland.
Teachers don’t ask for much. They want to be paid enough money so they don’t have to work a second job at Macy’s to earn a living wage. They want to be respected by their administrators and their students. They want enough resources, like books and school supplies, to actually be able to teach.
They don’t want guns.
Republicans like Donald Trump routinely try to undermine public education in America. Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos, worships at the altar of privatization. This month, Trump proposed slashing $5bn from the Department of Education’s budget. Among the programs on the chopping block: those to help pay for counselors in schools and violence prevention programs.
