Don't Freak Out over the Arming Teachers Bill.

by Rod Williams, April 26, 2024- A lot of people are freaking about the bill arming school teachers which was signed into law on Friday. School kids skipped school to protest the bill and parents protested in the House gallery, yelling “Blood on your hands” and “Vote them out!”. Anti-gun protestors even protested in front to the Governor's mansion. 

I believe the protest is more about making an ideological statement than actual practical concern about the bill. Of course, on the other hand, passing the bill may have also been more about making an ideological statement rather than the practical merits of the bill. 

The bill does not require teachers to carry guns. Teachers who want to be armed must go through 40 hours of training, a background check, fingerprinting, and a psychological evaluation. They also must also get approval from school leaders and the police.  Teachers do not get combat pay or any financial incentive for choosing to be armed. No local school system has to let teachers carry. Forty hours of weapons training is a lot of training. That is probably more than some war veterans, and more than the local police receive. This bill allows for arming teachers if the local school board and local school principal and local chief of police or county sheriff approve.  That is a lot of hoops to jump through. 

The Nashville School Board has said they will not approve the arming of any teachers. I would venture to guess that a year from now, in all of Tennessee we will have three armed teachers. Take a deep breath. 

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