Politics & Government

Guns in Schools: Virginia Educators Concerned about Governor's Interest in School Staff Carrying Weapons

Representatives of three state education agencies issued a rebuttal to Gov. McDonnell's comments about possibly allowing teachers and other school staff to carry weapons.

Virginia educators said they are concerned about the governor’s interest in allowing teachers and staff members to carry guns into schools, noting violence prevention isn’t an issue of more guns, but more funding.

Officials with three education associations—the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals (VASSP), Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals (VAESP) and Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS)—released a statement Friday.

The statement came shortly after the National Rifle Association (NRA) called for "armed security" around schools but was in response to statements earlier this week by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

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The education organizations said they appreciate Gov. McDonnell’s efforts to begin talks about increased safety in schools in light of the mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, but they think other options should be explored. 

The Republican governor discussed Virginia schools during a Tuesday interview on WTOP.

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When asked about the idea of allowing adults, supervisors, principals and teachers to be armed inside schools in Virginia, the governor said the idea should at least be discussed.

"If people were armed, not just a police officer but other officials who were trained and chose to have a weapon, certainly there would have been an opportunity to stop aggressors from coming into a school,” McDonnell said.

School safety is a deep-rooted issue and research indicates a “thoughtful” approach to safety in schools, one that goes beyond school campuses and into the communities, is needed in order to protect children, officials with the three associations said.

“ … We are concerned, however, with the governor’s interest in permitting staff to carry firearms as a possible deterrent to violence in schools,” officials wrote in the joint statement issued Friday. “We believe the problem is more complex and the conversation needs to encompass other and more diverse solutions …”

Additionally, educational practices and programs that support the social, behavioral and emotional needs of the students is needed, state educators said.

“We cannot and should not turn our schools into fortresses,” said Ben Kiser, VASS president and superintendent of Gloucester County Schools. 

“Effective prevention cannot wait until there is a gunman in a school parking lot; we need resources such as School Resource Officers, assistant principals, mental health supports and threat assessment teams in every school and community so that people can seek assistance when they recognize that someone is troubled and requires help.”

The roles of school resource officers and assistant principals should be well defined, followed by an increase in funding for both positions—funding that was decreased by the state general assembly, officials said.

The Virginia Standards of Quality should be amended and require there be one principal in each school building. It should also require an assistant principal be in place for schools with 400 or more students, which is different from the current requirement of 600 students, educators wrote in the release.

Funding for support staff and non-classroom personnel has also been cut by lawmakers, educators said.

Employees in these positions could served as the “eyes and ears” of the schools, according to the release.

"Our children deserve better," former VASSP President Carolyn Bernard, said. “With continuous cuts, existing staff are being forced to try to accomplish much more with less. It is becoming difficult to focus on developing relationships and encouraging engagement with students."

Educators suggest school construction funds could potentially be used to encourage local school divisions to address security. Many older buildings and facilities were constructed prior to the current guidelines and regulations, educators said in the joint statement.

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