Simple, safe & cost-effective. We have to take care of our own.

NO WAY! This is ridiculous. I dont want my son going to school with teachers that carry guns like its some prison. Do you have any idea what this problems would open up? Scenarios of teachers taking matters into their own hands, students wrestling the gun away from the teacher to use on their own. I would never have a gun in my house so why do I want one in my son's classroom?

They shouldn't be required, but there's nothing wrong with them carrying a gun if they want.

NO way, Schools should not be location where weapons are allowed at all, this is a knee jerk reaction to the shootings. Other measures should be taken before weapons are put into schools. Actions such as locked doors and only single entry points for visitors. Having weapons in school will not stop massacres like what happened in Newtown People don't think of all the consequences and take a rational look at the risks.

Liability insurance for schools will skyrocket if individual teachers are allowed to carry weapons. And that means higher taxes for everyone.

The answer to more weapons has never been more weapons.

Seriously, what has become of our society where places of learning now have to have educators, whose role it is to teach, wielding weapons in order to to do their jobs. What other country do you hear of where it is required for teachers or even contempleted that teachers have to include in their resume their prowess with fire arms except for places we hopefully would choose not to align ourselves with in regards to their safety records. Perhaps we should seek a totally comprehensive umbrella and arm day care workers and pre school aides with guns as well.

This is very poorly thought out and barely deserves discussion..... Making guns more available (by allowing teachers to bring them into schools) will only cause more disasters like Newtown CT. I can almost guarantee that there are mentally unbalanced teachers and children in our district (possibly with anger management problems), and by putting guns nearby these individuals, we would be asking for trouble.
What a horrible suggestion this is.......

I agree with Jeff, teachers and administrators should be able to carry a gun if they are trained and want to. Sean Kitchen, doesn't it seem strange that most of the attacks occur in "gun free" zones, someone bent on shooting would much rather know that there isn't going to be anyone with a weapon in the area they choose as their target. Again, the person in the school that is going to carry must be trained and know how to secure their gun so it doesn't get stolen or drops out. They must also pass a test to insure they do not have mental problems. It sure would have helped in many of the mass murder situations. Google guns save lives and get a real education on what happens when someone is prepared to defend themselves and others.

Absolutely NO. This is America. We do not educate our kids behind barbed wire, or in the presence of guns. A buzzer system sounds like common sense.

Where are the teachers going to carry / keep the guns in the classroom? Are they going to wear holsters? Leave them in their desks? What's to prevent a student from taking a gun and hurting themselves or someone else?

No way. I am all for people to have guns. But the kid with a lot of issues will be able to overtake the teacher for the gun. Also if someone wants to bring a gun in to school they will. They should just have the Guidance counselors actually do there job. they should make it mandatory for each student once a month to have to see there counselor. See what is going on in these kids minds. Become someone for them to talk to. If need be hire more counselors. If the kids seem to have issues see them once a week. Don't wait for something to go wrong to talk to a kid. Also hire more security guards. And a security guard that monitors cameras. If no cameras get them installed. not to watch the kids but the outside of the building and the entrance ways. Even the hallways if needed. but not the classrooms.

Why is this even being discussed, teachers teach....they are not police. A few incidents over a few decades although sad, shouldnt cause us to flip our schools upside down with security measures. Teachers having guns is not the fix for one off incidents... knowing my teachers growing up i wouldnt trust any of them 50 ft away from a gun.

ok so let's just say for a moment that this teachers wielding guns gets ok'd. Two issues I have with that is 1-teachers will leave them in unlocked desks or purse during the school day giving opportunity to any unstable person with a motive. 2-Will that mean that since I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and a hunter's license, I can bring my gun to school with me when I pick up my kids in the office for their dentist appt? Ok, then well how about my AK-47 can I bring that too? how about the hunting riffle with laser scope? how about my competition guns, I have trophies to prove I'm a very good shot? Will the kids feel safer seeing an adult walk into the school with a large gun over their arm? Or will it make them more fearful? I'm guessing "B", more fearful. If I can't legally bring my guns into school then I think the teachers can't either. 'Gun free zone' is free of guns for EVERYONE, not just the visitors. Are metal detectors so expensive that we can't consider them as an option? Their sensitivity can be set to alarm at large pieces of metal, not just girl's earrings.

Yes, change the law so it is legal for a teacher or administrator to carry a gun. It is common sense that it is needed, unfortunately. They have a right per the Constitution to bear arms to protect the children and themselves.

No. We are carrying this issue too far. We need to get rid if guns not give people more authority to carry them. Other countries have these strickter laws and their rates of violence is so low. When will this country get it? My fear is never.

No, a teacher with a holstered weapon, or a weapon in a desk cannot defeat a maniac with a semi-automatic, large magazine weapon in time to stop multiple casualties. Even if it would work, what of movie theaters, summer camps, fun centers and the like. Shall we have armed people everywhere? Take guns away from dangerous people, and if that's not enough ban all weapons capable of such violence. No one's right to a gun is more important than anyone's right to live.

The desire to increase school security after Newtown is understandable, but short-sighted. As tragic as it was, it is precisely because it was so shocking and emotional that we be should be especially careful of rushing through extreme security policies that we will have to live with for a very long time. Right now Central Bucks is in the process of implementing the following new security measures: Locked entrances with buzzer entry.

Before we move to turn our schools into fortresses, we should bear in mind that they are already very safe. According to the Department of Education’s figures, rates of violent crimes in school are low, with only 14 incidents per 1000 in 2010, compared to 53 per 1000 back in 1992. Incidents like the one in Newtown are so incredibly rare, it’s difficult to find an adequate comparison. But one criminologist, Gary Kleck estimates that our children are more likely to be hit by lightning than shot in school. In other words, it would be hard to make our children safer than they already are.

More importantly, this security comes at a terrible price. Schools are where we pass on our collective wisdom and values. By treating parents and other members of the community as suspects, we are effectively saying that safety matters more than everything else. Excessive security institutionalizes suspicion.

Don't implement new procedures just for the sake of “doing something.” The best “something” to do is to resist the urge to overreact.

As a hunter who happens to own a few personal firearms, I believe it is misguided to arm teachers in a school environment where safety for everyone should be paramount. Training programs sound great in discussion but, how will you be able to measure the efficacy of the program irt to the risk of accidental discharge, misplaced firearms, required recurrency, etc. Furthermore, the liability to the school district and the individual teachers will be overwhelming not considering the cost to implement a program like this. No one wants any more tragedies to occur. Arming the teachers of a school district doesn't solve the mental health issue which is a greater threat.

Even in The Old West, the marshall ordered them to check their guns at the "deadline." They understood the problems of having guns among a community.

Children and staff in schools need to feel safe in order to go about the business of education. Security measures are important, surely. But teachers are not law-enforcement officers. Their expertise lies in nurturing and encouraging learning. Their heroism is quiet and steady, on display in classrooms across the country every day as they teach reading, writing, math, science, music, art, and responsible citizenship. To arm a teacher is to undercut the purpose of schools. It is a repulsive, knee-jerk reaction to suggest that guns are the answer to tragedy. It is grossly irresponsible to suggest that weapons belong in classrooms.

Absolutely NOT! Police and armed security carry guns, that is their job. It is NOT a teacher's job to shoot a gun nor to protect children from mass murderers. This is a ludicrous solution and yet truly sad that some consider this feasible.

What have we come to, that we would even be considering this? Is seems to me that there are already too many guns in circulation now. The latest shooter had mental problems AND access to an automatic weapon. Isn't the the crux of the matter? Having more guns, more automatic weapons has only led to more people who should never own a gun, having access to one. I support securing the schools with an entry process and procedures, not requiring teachers to become peace officers. I have lived 75 years without ever needing to reach for a gun. And i do not intend to ever do so in the future. What would the image of a teacher with a gun, teach a child? The thought of passing through a town or city where everyone is "packing" is just plain crazy. We are not living in the wild west.

I think it's a completely appropriate idea. We currently have armed guards protecting our College Students, as well as Banks and Shopping Malls. My 2nd Amendment right gives me the power to protect myself, my family and the people around me, whether in public or at home.

Considering that two New York City police officers killed and wounded bystanders, is this a question we really want to ask?

A better solution would be to identify ex-military employees, regardless of their job, and arm them while keeping their identity secret.
This would accomplish virtually the same thing with less risk.

As a gun owner and 2nd Amendment supporter I have no problems if my kids went to a school where the teachers were armed. There are many teachers out there that already own and carry weapons. Just because they are teachers doesn't mean they don't have the same right to defend themselves.

It's 2013 folks, not 1863. This mere thought is a repulsive and shows how backwards our society is trending. As a teacher this mere proposition makes me sick.

So if a teacher becomes disgruntled he will already be armed and dangerous. Lord help us and save us!

Arm school counselors and psychologists with the time to meet with, counsel, and provide support for those students who are identified as exhibiting anti-social behavior . Arm them with administrative support to do what they are trained for instead of using them for scheduling and constant testing. Arm them to get at the core of mental health concerns in our schools without the red tape.
Guns? No.

This is a test to see if my Patch account works. Thanks

No way should guns be in schools. Not in the hands of teachers, administrative staff, or armed professionals. The idea of guns in schools frightens me to the core: one missed placed key, one unlocked drawer, a broken into gun cabinet.......a tradegy happened, please don't cause another to occur.

If teachers are required to carry guns, they will need to be licensed and trained and probably required to take target practice every month.

As a retired teacher, I know how unrealistic and wrong this idea is. There should not be any guns in a classroom.

I would not send my child to a school where weapons were readily available. If the weapons are available enough to be quickly accessed in an emergency, then they are available enough to be accessible by children. I would not send my child to a HOME where weapons were readily accessible. If others want to leave loaded weapons within reach of kids, let them play russian roulette with their own kids' lives. I've already grieved one child.

The buzzers at the entrance of schools are a good idea to protect the office personnel of the schools. For the past several years,our elementary schools have had the policy of visitors (including family) have to enter through the office of the school and sign in to be admitted into the school. It certainly seems that those office workers might be safer if they could choose who comes into their space. They are very vulnerable if a person wishing to do harm comes throught the door.

In the past, I worked in a hospital for persons who were being treated for psychiatric problems. I was that person behind the desk. I had a panic button which was installed under my desk which I could push in case I was threatened or if someone was out of control. It would be a good idea for the office personnel to have such a tool connected to the police and perhaps someone in the building who was in charge of security.

Jane, You can have any product that is readily available yet still be locked in such a way that only those who are authorized have access. I'm sure that there are items in your own household that you and your husband use but are locked up so that the kids can not access them, I know that is true in my house. Why would it differ in school? I would also submit to you that there are retention holsters that are made so that only the individual wearing the holster can access the firearm. They are used and issued to the police who are much more apt to get into a physical confrontation where their firearm may be grabbed than any teacher would get into.

As a teacher, what about my rights? I am anti-gun. Why on earth should my rights be infringed upon because the NRA refuses to be reasonable?? Where are we keeping these guns, because I will not bring one into my house? Who is paying for them, since they aren't cheap? And when do I train with this gun- on my own time? We are educators, not police or military. This is the most ill thought out, ignorant idea I have ever heard. God forbid a kid manages to get a gun from a teacher and kills someone with it- wonder whose fault that would be???? So over 7 million teachers should have their rights infringed upon to appease the 4 million members of the NRA???

Yeah! Right! Better to have universal military service @ 18 - for all high school grads - & let them "serve" in the halls of America's schools! Semper fi!

Removing the bible from school and giving Guns to teachers?
What is wrong with people today?
ACTION PLAN FOR LIVING
Start your day with a personal prayer
I love my family, friends, neighbors. I love myself, for I am in your image Your Spirit is within me.
1.This is the first day of my "New Life" but I'm living it as if it were my last.
2.You and I together are handling everything the world has to offer
3.I'm living the "Golden Rule" with truth, dignity and respect
4.I smile and say something kind to everyone I meet
5.I'm enthusiastic, persistent, optimistic, patient and successful
6.I'm positive in my thinking. I control my attitude, my emotions and my life
7.I give more than I get. By so doing I get more than I've ever hoped
8.I'm as happy as I can be. I laugh and enjoy this and every moment
9.I count my blessings: life, love, health, happiness, family, friends, and freedom
10.I recall my accomplishments: 1, 2, 3...

...
11.I define my goals of service to God, my family, my business, and my country
12.I learn from my successes and my mistakes but I don't live in the past
13.I do it NOW! I get things done
14 I keep my self-image positive and good
15.I have Faith, Hope, Courage and I Believe
16.Life is great. It's a game. I play fair. I play to win. I live it to the fullest
17.Every day in every way, only through your Grace, your Love and your Kindness…I get better and better. Thank you God
18.Life's greatest secret is “KNOWING and DOING WHAT'S RIGHT”
It is that simple!

Conservatives don't trust teachers enough to let them teach evolution, but you somehow have no problem asking them to be a SWAT team? Anything wrong with this picture?

Tracie- The discussion is whether the law should allow a teacher or admin. to carry a gun in school for protection. No one would force you to do so. If we can't afford to have armed law enforcement in school, then maybe there could be a few admins. or teachers in each school designated to carry and they would have to be trained and certified in gun safety. Agree with above comments that allowing all teachers, admins. to carry is a recipe for an accident.

I think we need to put better security in place but that doesn't mean guns!Teachers are for giving our kids an education.Im all for bullet proff glass and metal detectors scanners that sort of thing.I would also be for teachers & staff members doing a self defense class.Teachers should be armed with the knowledge of how to talk to children and know who is in need of further help.We as parents should also watch and know who are kids friends are and keep our eyes open!I feel pretty good in who my kids have choosen as friends.Lets keep our eyes open and our ears!I pray that the goverment will make ar's illegal and get them off the streets.There is no reason for a home owner to have a milatery style gun!

why not. We should have an "open carry" law in Bucks...everyone should carry a gun, lock in a holster attached to their waist for all too see. If we know everyone has a gun...who wants to pull the trigger first? lol

As a 25-year educator, the mere discussion of this proposition makes me physically ill. There is absolutely NO place in any school for a firearm of any kind - period. It goes against everything that a place of education stands for, and it raises so may more security concerns than some people think it could solve. The day this is even considered is the day I walk out the door.

First, you don't REQUIRE teachers to carry guns. Srictly volunteer. The gun would have to be concealled. If a teacher accidentally allowed the students to see the gun they would lose their right to carry in the school. Even if only one teacher in a school decided to carry it would have the same effect as having Sky Marshalls on planes. The crazies won't know who is armed and who's not. Designating any place "Gun Free" doesn't help anyone. Even if you were gun free, the worst thing you could do is advertise it!

AMEN! To Nicole, pray that the citizens of this great country understand that what happened in Germany during Hitlers reign started with exactly what this current administration is trying to do, disarm the citizens, he who doesn't learn from history is bound to repeat it. Check history and you'll find that disarming the citizens is the first step in the government increasing controls. This conversation is not about banning guns it is about "should central bucks teachers carry guns" regardless of your feeling about the legallity of guns, every citizen by virtue of the 2nd amendment of our Constitution has the right to bear arms. It isn't a forced issue, it is a choice and if a teacher makes the choice to bear arms, it should be considered by the district and individual school. Gun Free only works for the good people, those who believe in the law.

Mr
Beaver I'm surprised to hear you went to school
When will this country grow up on gun safety ?

Guns in schools may seem crazy, but is leaving hundreds of kids unprotected from the crazy people in the world less crazy? If we do not want to arm trained, evaluated, stable teachers with guns, the. We need to assign a full time police officer to every public school in the country. Leaving our kids unprotected in this crazy, violent world should not be an option

I am unsure what is best for school security enhancements above and beyond securing access but clearly many many layers of protection are needed. The world is full of nut cases and I don't see that changing... When I drop my sweet, completely innocent elementary aged daughter off each day at school, I want to know that she will be safe from harm....from nut cases. - So, what about mace guns for schools?? They are not deadly weapons but clearly would be effective at stalling an insane shooter. Mace guns shoot up to 20 ft., do not require good aim, and cause extreme eye and respiratory distress for up to 30 minutes. In my opinion, this approach sounds doable. Schools could decide who would have the mace guns, and where they would reside. If some crazy in-school kid got to one of these, no one would die as a result. Thoughts??