JMCSS Superintendent: ‘Teachers will not be armed; Standing for Students and Staff’
FROM DR. MARLON KING, JACKSON-MADISON COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM SUPERINTENDENT:
THE SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE
April 26, 2024
Teachers will not be armed; Standing for Students and Staff
Dear Staff, Families, and Stakeholders,
As a member of our school community, I feel compelled to address a recent development concerning arming teachers.
With the passage of the bill allowing teachers/staff to carry firearms in schools by the Tennessee legislature, I understand that there may be varied perspectives and concerns among our staff, students, and families.
While the intention behind this decision may stem from a desire to enhance safety, I firmly believe that introducing firearms into our teachers/staff poses significant risks and challenges. Our primary focus should always be on providing a nurturing and conducive learning environment where every individual feels safe and supported. In light of this, I want to reassure you that our district remains committed to prioritizing safety through proactive measures and collaboration with law enforcement agencies. Instead of arming educators, I advocate for investing in comprehensive training programs for our staff and implementing robust security protocols in partnership with local law enforcement authorities. We are achieving this through the public safety grant that we have been awarded. In addition to this, arming teachers with better compensation packages and high quality professional development has been the aim of my administration and that remains as my desire. By working hand in hand with our local law enforcement – Sheriff Wiser and Chief Corley, we can ensure a swift and effective response to any potential threats while maintaining the sanctity of our educational environment.
Last year, the County Commission approved a significant motion to fund SRO’s for every school not just for middle and high schools. The JMCSS school board continued to fund our internal school safety specialist program for the third year. With our partnership with Maxxguard (local security company), we feel that we have an incredibly strong plan in place to support school safety. With the ever-changing dynamics in public education, we will continue to assess our current safety strategy and if the need to arm identified in-house safety specialist ever arises, we will ensure that families are aware.
As always, our staff and student safety and well-being are paramount, and I am dedicated to the ongoing collaboration with our law enforcement agencies, school board, county commission and city council as we work to keep our schools safe. As a parent of the system, safety always remains at the top of the list. To that end, we are seeing an increase in enrollment and as a result, will be receiving an additional $2 million from the state for fast growth. This is a clear indication that families believe our schools are safer and they have more confidence in our ability to provide a high quality educational experience. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and thanks for choosing us.
SEE ALSO: Governor Lee signs bills to allow teachers, staff to carry handguns on school grounds
