This doesn’t seem like a good idea

From ABC:

A tiny Texas school district may be the first in the nation to allow teachers and staff to pack guns for protection when classes begin later this month, a newspaper reported.

Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District approved a district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed firearms to deter and protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting teachers follow certain requirements.

[Snip]

"When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that's when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it out there that a group of people can't defend themselves? That's like saying 'sic 'em' to a dog," (Superintendent David) Thweatt said in Friday's online edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Ok, the Every man as Rambo logic at work here seems pretty freaking stupid to me (as does the Thweatt’s unsubstantiated assumption that declaring schools gun free zones caused these problems but that is a different discussion). And yes, I concede that when another nut decides to shoot up a school, this one will be better protected than most but come on, these are teachers not cops or soldiers. The people in position to ostensibly defend the students may know how to handle a firearm fine on the range but in a life and death situation, well that is another matter altogether. Adding more guns to the mix makes no sense at all.

My point here is that the potential benefits here seem vastly outweighed by the potential risks; crossfire, accidental shooting, hell, purposeful shootings even. Indeed, I think it much more likely that a teacher will flip out and draw down on a disrespectful punk in his class rather than use the weapon to defend himself or his students. I would bet that if this policy were instituted nationwide, students would be in a great deal more danger than otherwise.