School safety was on the minds of Georgia teachers one day after the shooting in Uvalde, Texas that claimed the lives of both students and staff. One of Tyehesha Alexander’s top priorities for her school was a more secure campus.
Her school does not currently have a resource officer on staff, and she believes that at times like these “we need somebody here to help increase the safety, the surveillance, and the security of our school,” she added.
An active shooter strategy was implemented years ago following another school shooting at Susie B. Atkinson Elementary in Griffin, according to computer science teacher Alexander. She claims to know exactly what she would do if placed in that situation. “My first mind is going to always be to protect the children at all costs,” she said. “My heart truly breaks for each and every one of the teachers, the students, the families that were involved is truly a tragedy.”
A similar view was expressed by Verdaillia Turner. Shootings at schools have caused a divided response among teachers, according to the president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers. “Teachers are telling me that they are sitting ducks. Others say that they’re becoming desensitized because they’re constantly taking weapons or some type of gun away from students weekly in our schools,” Turner said.
Concerns about school safety are exacerbated by security flaws, according to her. However, she highlighted that other districts have made initiatives to enhance school safety, such as Clayton County.
