Safety Concerns Drive Educators Away From Schools
Image Credit: Kenny Eliason / UnSplash / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
While academics remain a priority for teachers, more and more of them are citing safety issues as a major concern.
As the school year has come to an end in Tennessee, many educators have opted not to return for the upcoming year because they fear for their own personal safety.
According to JC Bowman, Executive Director and CEO of the Professional Educators of Tennessee, fewer college graduates are entering the field as well because of these safety concerns.
School staff members are also seeing an uptick in behavioral issues from students, as bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and office staff find themselves threatened by students or forced to intervene in student conflicts.
There is already legislation in place to help address some of the issues, including laws regarding zero-tolerance offenses that allow schools to expel students for a calendar year. Those offenses include bringing firearms on to school campuses, assaulting school employees, and possessing drugs on campus or at any school-sponsored event.
The Tennessee Senate will be considering a bill that would also add making a threat of mass violence on school grounds or of a school-related event to that list. The House has already passed the bill.
The Tennessee Discipline Act was also passed to provide guidance to school systems on how to deal with students who disrupt the educational process. According to the Tennessee Department of Education, “State law requires each local board of education to adopt a discipline policy to apply to the students in each school operated by the LEA or charter school governing body. Schools implement those policies in compliance with state and federal law at the local level.”
Bowman says he plans to continue his efforts to work with legislators to provide even more protection for school faculty and staff. He also recommends that any educator who has experienced behavior that leaves them feeling uncomfortable should report that behavior and keep documentation of the behavior and that reporting process.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
I would say it is not the safety issues form outside sources it is from the students doing the harm with Corrupt Teachers forcing teachers to teach WOKEness and other garbage.
Jason,My daughter is an incredibly talented and highly sought out high school teacher who has been courted for administrative positions because of her abilities to reach and elevate students, write curriculum, and use technology at lightning speed. Sadly, she was not given any monetary incentive to do more, is paid at criminal levels already and only held on this long because of her love of teaching and of her students. This was her last year and one of the two main reasons for resigning is personal safety. She does NOT want some of her colleagues to be allowed to carry because they are in danger of losing their cool and going trigger happy, so that is not a wise alternative.
I say
Good for those teachers.
They ought to create small groups for their regional areas and hang out a shingle
“Professional Home School Tutorials”
Become self employed
Bet the good ones would be highly sought after and enjoy it eminsley.