Last May, there was a school shooting in the STEM Academy charter school in Douglas County, Colorado, one of the most affluent districts in the state, and a student was killed by another student.
Now there is a debate between the school district leadership and another charter school about arming teachers.
On the one side of the argument is Superintendent Thomas Tucker, who says guns have no place in the classroom.
“Teachers are not armed,” Tucker said. “We will fight tooth and nail of any school whether it’s a neighborhood school or a charter school.”
On the other side of the debate is Derec Shuler, the executive director of Ascent Classical Academies. The charter school currently operates within the Douglas County School District. However, for more than a year staff at Ascent have been training to carry and use, if necessary, firearms inside the school.
“We have staff who volunteer,” Shuler said. “They’re screened and they undergo pretty rigorous training. That’s on-going as well to be able to carry concealed firearms at school to protect kids.”
The Douglas County School District recently had to deal with a school shooting. An 18-year-old student was killed and eight others were hurt during a shooting on May 7 at the STEM Academy.
The superintendent insists that only security personnel will carry guns.
He has told the charter that it can leave the district if it insists on arming teachers. The charter may take him up on his offer.
Superintendent Tucker arrived in Douglas County after the defeat of a board led by rightwing zealots who controlled the school board and wanted to offer vouchers. Tucker had to take charge and restore confidence in the public schools. He looks like he is a take-charge guy. No doubt he has read the stories about the teachers who misplace their guns, drop their guns, forget their guns in the restroom, accidentally discharge their guns.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Good morning, scholars! Yearbooks are available for pickup in the bookstore. This evening’s volleyball practice has been cancelled because of rain. Anyone who finds Mr. Schimezzi’s Glock, please return it to the central office. Have an enlightening day. Go Cougars!
Douglas County schools have problems. Douglas County is conservative and RICH … the problems.
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2017/02/22/a-colorado-county-is-among-the-10-richest-in-the.html
important to make that very distinction — not all districts are forced to approach the gun problem knowing that theirs is that most dangerous of districts: one filled with wealthy, conservative, mostly White schools…
I also wouldn’t want “security personnel” to carry firearms on a school campus. Only authorized peace officers should be carrying weapons anywhere near a school…and police should always take steps to minimize their presence.
Agree! That’s how it’s done in my district. Trained policemen have a hard enough time dealing w/a school shooter, as we saw in Parkland.
The Ascent Classical Academy is sponsored by Hillsdale College, and if you’re not familiar with it, here’s an article that will help: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/05/12/hillsdale-college-trump-pence-218362. Although the college takes no federal funds whatsoever (so it doesn’t have to abide by federal education requirements, including anti-discrimination policies), it has a “non-profit” arm that is serving as a charter school management company. Last year Ascent applied to open a charter school in Boulder Valley School District (BVSD), but the board turned down its application. Ascent appealed to the state, but was again denied. I believe BVSD’s denial, crafted in large part by brilliant attorney and school board member Kathy Gebhardt (kathy.gebhardt@bvsd.org) might serve as a template for other districts and states trying to find reasoned, legal means to deny charters. The BVSD board did not challenge the charter on the basis of the many “red meat” issues associated with Hillsdale/Ascent, but instead addressed its governance structure, which is undemocratic and unaccountable to BVSD taxpayers.
“They’re screened and they undergo pretty rigorous training.” (Pretty-to a moderately high degree; fairly.) Since the lives of children are at stake I would suggest they move from pretty rigorous to highly rigorous. We need the same high standard of rigor for gun play as we do for academics! I hope that these armed teachers are also being tested for true grit!
A new principal was hired for this school in July. He was fired from another charter school in Colorado the month before for unethical behavior. He is associated with the reformers in Colorado. He is a graduate and board member of Leadership Program of the Rockies, a far right program. Derec Shuler is also a graduate of this program. The new principal’s name is Don Griffin. The day after he was fired from Monument Academy he was rehired as a consultant for the building of Monument Academy high school. He is being paid $7500 a month for this. His salary at Ascent Classical Academy is $ 110,000 a year.
Our public education dollars are paying this unethical person 200,000 a year. Sad.
Ascent charters are overseen by the far-right Hillsdale College.