MARSHALL, N.C. (AP) — When schools in one North Carolina county reopen later this month, new security measures will include stocking AR-15 rifles for school resource officers to use in the event of an active shooter.
Spurred by the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead in May, school officials and Madison County Sheriff Buddy Harwood have placed one of the semiautomatic rifles in each of the county’s six schools. Each of the guns will be locked inside a safe, Harwood said.
The North Carolina school district and sheriff’s office are collaborating to enhance security after the Uvalde shooting revealed systemic failures and “egregiously poor decision-making,” resulting in more than an hour of chaos before the gunman was finally confronted and killed by law enforcement, according to a report written by an investigative committee from the Texas House of Representatives.
“Those officers were in that building for so long, and that suspect was able to infiltrate that building and injure and kill so many kids,” Harwood told the Asheville Citizen Times. “I just want to make sure my deputies are prepared in the event that happens.”
AP Photo/Eric Gay
Family and friends of those killed and injured in the school shootings at Robb Elementary take part in a protest march and rally July 10, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas.
The idea of having AR-15s in schools does not sit well with Dorothy Espelage, a UNC Chapel Hill professor in the School of Education who has conducted decades of study and research on school safety and student well-being.
“What’s going to happen is we’re going to have accidents with these guns,” Espelage told WLOS-TV. Just the presence of an SRO increases violence in the schools. There’s more arrests of kids. Why is it that they have to have these AR-15s? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Madison County Schools Superintendent Will Hoffman said school administrators have been meeting regularly with local law enforcement officials, including Harwood, to discuss the updated safety measures.
Harwood said the county’s school resource officers have been training with instructors from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
Harwood said the safes where the AR-15s will be kept will also hold ammunition and breaching tools for barricaded doors.
“We’ll have those tools to be able to breach that door if needed. I do not want to have to run back out to the car to grab an AR, because that’s time lost. Hopefully we’ll never need it, but I want my guys to be as prepared as prepared can be,” he said.
Schools are scheduled to reopen Aug. 22, according to the Madison County Schools website.
While the optics of school resource officers potentially handling AR-15s in schools may be discomforting to some, Harwood said he believes it is a necessary response.
“I hate that we’ve come to a place in our nation where I’ve got to put a safe in our schools, and lock that safe up for my deputies to be able to acquire an AR-15. But, we can shut it off and say it won’t happen in Madison County, but we never know,” Harwood said.
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5 ways pandemic-related teacher shortages are affecting K-12 schools across the US
Jon Cherry // Getty Images
Educators have long felt the pressure of heavy workloads, low wages, and lack of resources to perform their jobs effectively. This burden increased over the last few years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. HeyTutor outlined five ways these pandemic-related teacher shortages are affecting K-12 schools across the U.S.
Burnout is affecting teachers like never before. In January 2022, a poll of National Education Association members showed more than half of educators surveyed were likely to retire or leave the job early because of the pandemic. That’s nearly twice the number that reported feeling the same way in July 2020.
According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 44% of public schools reported teacher vacancies and 49% reported other staffing vacancies as of January 2022. In non-teaching roles, custodial positions had the most vacancies, followed by transportation and nutrition. Over half of open positions were due to resignations. Three out of five schools cited the pandemic as a contributing factor to this increase.
Read on to learn how increased educator vacancies have impacted both teachers and students.
Jon Cherry // Getty Images
Educators have long felt the pressure of heavy workloads, low wages, and lack of resources to perform their jobs effectively. This burden increased over the last few years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. HeyTutor outlined five ways these pandemic-related teacher shortages are affecting K-12 schools across the U.S.
Burnout is affecting teachers like never before. In January 2022, a poll of National Education Association members showed more than half of educators surveyed were likely to retire or leave the job early because of the pandemic. That’s nearly twice the number that reported feeling the same way in July 2020.
According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 44% of public schools reported teacher vacancies and 49% reported other staffing vacancies as of January 2022. In non-teaching roles, custodial positions had the most vacancies, followed by transportation and nutrition. Over half of open positions were due to resignations. Three out of five schools cited the pandemic as a contributing factor to this increase.
Read on to learn how increased educator vacancies have impacted both teachers and students.
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5 ways pandemic-related teacher shortages are affecting K-12 schools across the US
Jon Cherry // Getty Images
Teacher shortages have caused class sizes to grow during the pandemic—but larger class sizes also contribute to educator burnout, which then leads to even more teachers leaving their positions.
More students in a class can mean more work for teachers to grade, less time to provide individual attention, and higher stress levels. In a January 2022 survey, 3 in 5 members of the Maryland State Education Association reported they would be more likely to continue teaching if class sizes were smaller.
Larger class sizes also negatively impact students. The American Federation of Teachers advocates for the benefits of smaller class sizes—more individualized instruction, higher academic performance, and fewer behavioral problems.
Jon Cherry // Getty Images
Teacher shortages have caused class sizes to grow during the pandemic—but larger class sizes also contribute to educator burnout, which then leads to even more teachers leaving their positions.
More students in a class can mean more work for teachers to grade, less time to provide individual attention, and higher stress levels. In a January 2022 survey, 3 in 5 members of the Maryland State Education Association reported they would be more likely to continue teaching if class sizes were smaller.
Larger class sizes also negatively impact students. The American Federation of Teachers advocates for the benefits of smaller class sizes—more individualized instruction, higher academic performance, and fewer behavioral problems.
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5 ways pandemic-related teacher shortages are affecting K-12 schools across the US
PAUL RATJE/AFP // Getty Images
When teacher shortages occur, extra work is placed on each educator to help compensate for missing staff. Add in the unique circumstances of the pandemic and it is easy to see how educators have become overwhelmed with additional responsibilities over the past few years.
A May 2021 survey of 493 K-12 public school staff reported 2 in 5 teachers were working more hours than before the pandemic. Teaching online requires extra responsibilities related to technology, as well as additional effort to maintain consistent communication with students and their families. Upon returning to teach face-to-face, social distancing requirements and sanitizing classrooms have contributed to increased teacher workloads.
PAUL RATJE/AFP // Getty Images
When teacher shortages occur, extra work is placed on each educator to help compensate for missing staff. Add in the unique circumstances of the pandemic and it is easy to see how educators have become overwhelmed with additional responsibilities over the past few years.
A May 2021 survey of 493 K-12 public school staff reported 2 in 5 teachers were working more hours than before the pandemic. Teaching online requires extra responsibilities related to technology, as well as additional effort to maintain consistent communication with students and their families. Upon returning to teach face-to-face, social distancing requirements and sanitizing classrooms have contributed to increased teacher workloads.
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5 ways pandemic-related teacher shortages are affecting K-12 schools across the US
Canva
Extracurricular activities are crucial for the growth and development of school-age children—physically, emotionally, and socially. During the pandemic, access to these activities has decreased sharply across the country.
One example is the National FFA Organization (formerly known as the Future Farmers of America), a student organization that prepares youth for careers in agriculture. In May 2022, a high number of openings in agricultural teacher positions were reported across states from Illinois to Texas.
Sports teams, arts programs, and after-school clubs have been forced to meet virtually, if at all. Dartmouth Health notes this lack of social interaction has particularly affected adolescents, with increasing rates of depression and anxiety.
Canva
Extracurricular activities are crucial for the growth and development of school-age children—physically, emotionally, and socially. During the pandemic, access to these activities has decreased sharply across the country.
One example is the National FFA Organization (formerly known as the Future Farmers of America), a student organization that prepares youth for careers in agriculture. In May 2022, a high number of openings in agricultural teacher positions were reported across states from Illinois to Texas.
Sports teams, arts programs, and after-school clubs have been forced to meet virtually, if at all. Dartmouth Health notes this lack of social interaction has particularly affected adolescents, with increasing rates of depression and anxiety.
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5 ways pandemic-related teacher shortages are affecting K-12 schools across the US
PAUL RATJE/AFP // Getty Images
Perhaps the most concerning repercussion of teacher shortages is a decline in students’ academic achievement. In a January 2022 study published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, test scores of 5.4 million third to eighth graders showed changes during the pandemic. Both reading and math scores dropped significantly. For elementary-age students, gaps in achievement between high and low-poverty schools were 15-20% wider in reading and math than those pre-pandemic.
An April 2022 article published by McKinsey & Company estimates students in North America are 4 months behind in their learning. Working to address teacher shortages and get students back on track is going to be a time-consuming and costly process.
PAUL RATJE/AFP // Getty Images
Perhaps the most concerning repercussion of teacher shortages is a decline in students’ academic achievement. In a January 2022 study published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, test scores of 5.4 million third to eighth graders showed changes during the pandemic. Both reading and math scores dropped significantly. For elementary-age students, gaps in achievement between high and low-poverty schools were 15-20% wider in reading and math than those pre-pandemic.
An April 2022 article published by McKinsey & Company estimates students in North America are 4 months behind in their learning. Working to address teacher shortages and get students back on track is going to be a time-consuming and costly process.
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5 ways pandemic-related teacher shortages are affecting K-12 schools across the US
RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post // Getty Images
During the pandemic, teacher shortages have impacted specialized school programs just as much as standard classes. The U.S. Secretary of Education has issued a call to action to address vacancies in areas like bilingual Spanish-English education; science, math, and technology programs; and career and technical tracks.
The National Center for Education Statistics reported special education had the most teacher vacancies as of January 2022, with nearly half (45%) of schools reporting open positions. Some school districts have been forced to cut students from special education programs—like the Extended School Year program in Buffalo—due to a lack of staffing. Teacher shortages in these specialized programs affect some of the most high-need and vulnerable students at a time that is already difficult for youth and families.
This story originally appeared on HeyTutor and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post // Getty Images
During the pandemic, teacher shortages have impacted specialized school programs just as much as standard classes. The U.S. Secretary of Education has issued a call to action to address vacancies in areas like bilingual Spanish-English education; science, math, and technology programs; and career and technical tracks.
The National Center for Education Statistics reported special education had the most teacher vacancies as of January 2022, with nearly half (45%) of schools reporting open positions. Some school districts have been forced to cut students from special education programs—like the Extended School Year program in Buffalo—due to a lack of staffing. Teacher shortages in these specialized programs affect some of the most high-need and vulnerable students at a time that is already difficult for youth and families.
This story originally appeared on HeyTutor and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
