16 References American Civil Liberties Union. (2022). Your right to equality in education. https://www aclu.org/other/your-right-equality-education Bast, S., & DeSimone, V. (2019, September 1). Understanding the factors. In Youth violence prevention in the United States: Examining international terrorists, domestic terrorists, school shooters, and gang members (pp. 11 27). Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep22584.9 Ciccotelli, S. (2020, May). K–6 schools and the active shooter: Teachers’ perceptions of security implementations (Publication No. 28151167) [Doctoral dissertation, Centenary University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Thesis Global. DeVos, B., Nielsen, K. M., Azar, A. M., II, & Whitaker, M. (2018). Final report of the Federal Commission on school safety: Presented to the President of the United States. United States Department of Education. https:///www2.ed.gov/documents school-safety/school-safety-report.pdf Duff, A. (2020). Educator perception of preparedness for active shooter incidents in suburban Kansas City, Missouri public schools in a post Columbine educational landscape: A 20-year retrospective (Publication No. 28543135) [Doctoral dissertation, William Woods University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Thesis Global. Enos, B. T. (2020). Teachers with handguns: A qualitative exploratory multisite instrumental case study (Publication No. 2468703247) [Doctoral treatise, American College of Education]. ProQuest Dissertations and Thesis Global. Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E., & McKee, A. (2013) Primal leadership: realizing the power of emotional intelligence. Harvard Business School Press. Jonson, C. L. (2017). Preventing school shootings: The effectiveness of safety measures. Victims & Offenders, 12(6), 956–973. Lacoe, J. (2020). Too scared to learn? The academic consequences of feeling unsafe in the classroom. Urban Education, 55(10), 1385–1418. Recommendations Based on the findings of the current study, districts could consider providing teachers with more training during professional development days while students are off campus. Differentiation of training and offering teachers the option to volunteer for specific, action, advanced training could also improve their selfefficacy in responding to the possible event of an active shooter. Teachers mentioned technologies, such as panic buttons and cameras, as well as physical security measures, such as fences and bullet resistant glass, but there was little understanding of the improvement to security as a result. Teachers did not feel that adding technologies or barriers decreased their need for specific and continual active training. One recommendation to legislative decision makers is to recognize teachers in the current study feel safer with armed staff on their campus. The armed staff does not replace scenario based, active, and consistent training with feedback. Although principals are not meant to be protectors of the campus, they do set the culture and provide communication and a plan for teachers. Teachers want administrators to guide them, and they want to be well trained to help secure their campus. Conclusion With an increase in the number of active shooter incidents at schools across the country, and in remembrance of the past two Texas tragedies, Santa Fe Texas High School and Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, the current study focused on teachers’ perceptions of their ability to respond to an active shooter event. For teachers to be prepared, they must receive training. Training increases their confidence, staff unity, and their perceptions of their positive response. Teachers in the current study stated that armed staff increases their feeling of safety, but training increases their confidence in their personal response. Teachers in the current study also stated they do not want to be the ones carrying a firearm. The results of the current study further support armed staff at campuses and the importance of the application of action-based training. Mandi Murphy, Ed.D.
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