New survey says teachers are undecided about arming themselves in school
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Parkland. Uvalde. Columbine. Sandy Hook. These are just a few of the tragic school shootings that have impacted us all.
In each situation, someone came in firing.
Now, a new survey says teachers are split about whether arming themselves would make schools safer.
The top safety concern for teachers is bullying and social media. But they're also worried about guns, with most saying being armed wouldn't help.
School safety and gun violence are big concerns for parents, students and teachers with guns showing up in schools more frequently
"I just want to have fun, I don't want to have to worry about my safety," Hayden Harris, a student, said.
"Something's gotta change for my child, for me, to feel safe sending her to school," Samantha Harris, the mother of Hayden, said.
Some say arming teachers can help keep schools safer.
A survey from the nonprofit research group, RAND Corporation, says one in five teachers say they would be interested in carrying a gun to school.
Twenty percent believe teachers carrying a gun would make schools safer, but 54% believe armed teachers would make schools less safe.
And 26% feel either way, it would not make a difference.
"I think that they're just under a lot of stress," Emily Rovar, a licensed social worker, said.
Experts say teachers now are facing all sorts of issues in class.
"Not only are they teaching our children, they are having to be mental health professionals in a way, dealing with high emotions, dealing with kids in distress," Rovar said. "And then in the back of their mind, they have the thought of 'What if someone does come to this school?'"
"The concept of arming teachers is completely outrageous and one that we have vehemently opposed and will continue to speak out against. The scourge of gun violence that has devastated families across the nation should move us all to meaningful collective action that truly addresses the crisis. And addressing this crisis by arming teachers is antithetical to the common sense gun reforms that we know are essential to truly addressing this crisis. It would be hard to overstate the danger of this proposal, and we will continue to speak up for urgently needed resources and investments in public education," Jerry Jordan, the president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, said in a statement.
The teachers union wants better gun regulations and many believe other measures would be more effective like increasing the presence of safety officers and mental health professionals in schools – steps that could help students and their teachers feel safer.
The National Rifle Association says teachers with experience should be able to carry a gun in class and that could make schools safer.