Armed educators not the answer to school safety

We must arm our teachers. We’ll have to train them, of course. And they’ll need to be paid extra ...

... is the dumbest idea yet for making our schools safer.

There are no easy answers for preventing more Columbines, Sandy Hooks, Parklands, etc.

But we can help focus this conversation on more realistic solutions by eliminating the most ridiculous ideas that seem to have traction.

Yes, we live in a fast-paced world that requires multi-tasking, doing more with less and spending hard-earned dollars responsibly. But the concept of teachers doubling as security agents is certain to end badly far more often than it proves helpful.

Recent examples — in Florida and closer to home — offer the best proof that law enforcement requires a full-time focus; and even then, it’s a difficult task.

In Florida, at least one Broward County Sheriff’s deputy is accused of failing to act “appropriately” when the gunfire began at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, taking cover instead of charging to the bullets that killed 17.

In Clovis, a police officer confronting a suicidal man failed to locate a handgun hidden in the man’s clothing despite a search. That resulted in Wesley Flores shooting himself in the face four hours later inside the Curry County jail.

If those professional law-enforcement officers failed in their missions, what are the chances a math teacher or school librarian will perform heroically and effectively in life-or-death situations? Only in the dreams of hidden political agendas.

There are arguments to be made that even arming trained professional security guards isn’t the best way to prevent mass shootings.

Arming educators is a good way to increase the number of accidental shootings in our troubled nation — but not much else.

Of course we can train teachers to use firearms just like we can train security forces to use slide rules, and both professions would be better off with the additional skillsets.

But let’s not get stupid when it comes to our children’s education and safety:

We need to let our teachers teach and let our security forces handle security.

Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the Clovis Media Inc.’s editorial board, which consists of Publisher Rob Langrell and Editor David Stevens.