Subject: [big campaign] Fw: Press Release - AFT, NEA: Arming Educators Won’t Keep Schools Safe
From: "Anderson, Kim [NEA-CAO]" <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]'" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:33:32 +0000
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

From: Smith, Toni [NEA]
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 11:29 AM Eastern Standard Time
To: news_release_distribution [NEA]; executive_staff [NEA]; state-communicators-exclusive, state-communicators-exclusiv [NEA]
Cc: Digital Engagement [NEA]
Subject: Press Release - AFT, NEA: Arming Educators Won’t Keep Schools Safe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 CONTACT: Marcus Mrowka, AFT, 202-879-4447
December 20, 2012                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Celeste Busser, NEA, 202-822-7823

AFT, NEA: Arming Educators Won’t Keep Schools Safe
Focus Needs to Be on Investments in Mental Health Services, Reasonable Gun Safety Legislation
WASHINGTON—NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and AFT President Randi Weingarten react to proposals by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, and William Bennett to arm teachers as a way to prevent school violence.
“Our duty to every child is to provide safe and secure public schools. That is the vow we take as educators. It is both astounding and disturbing that following this tragedy, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, Bill Bennett, and other politicians and pundits have taken to the airwaves to call for arming our teachers. As the rest of the country debates how to keep guns out of schools, some are actually proposing bringing more guns in, turning our educators into objects of fear and increasing the danger in our schools.

“Guns have no place in our schools. Period. We must do everything we can to reduce the possibility of any gunfire in schools, and concentrate on ways to keep all guns off school property and ensure the safety of children and school employees.

“But this is not just about guns. Long-term and sustainable school safety also requires a commitment to preventive measures. We must continue to do more to prevent bullying in our schools. And we must dramatically expand our investment in mental health services. Proper diagnosis can and often starts in our schools, yet we continue to cut funding for school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists. States have cut at least $4.35 billion in public mental health spending from 2009 to 2012, according to the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. It is well past time to reverse this trend and ensure that these services are available and accessible to those who need our support.

“Greater access to mental health services, bullying prevention, and meaningful action on gun control—this  is where we need to focus our efforts, not on staggeringly misguided ideas about filling our schools with firearms. Lawmakers at every level of government should dismiss this dangerous idea and instead focus on measures that will create the safe and supportive learning environments our children deserve.”

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The AFT represents 1.5 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.

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