UNSEEN: Demonstrators turned out for Jeff Sessions' visit to Lake Hamilton schools, but they were hereded to a spot out of sight of the attorney general. KARK/Fox 16

Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ visit to Arkansas was carefully controlled as we’d promised — no press questions were allowed (a requirement Arkansas media didn’t challenge); the general public wasn’t allowed to attend his events, and, according to the Democrat-Gazette, demonstrators at the Lake Hamilton school district were ordered off a public sidewalk and confined to an area where Sessions wouldn’t have to see them. People who spoke at school were predominantly pre-cleared supporters of more guns in the hands of adults on campuses. Happily, some contrary views emerged.

Evie Blad, a former Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter now working for Education Week, quoted Jay Barth, chairman of the state Board of Education and a Times columnist, as part of her article on the event and guns in school. (Correction: He was one ringer on the panels assembled for Sessions’ visit by virtue of his position as chair of the board. He’s the final progressive holdout on the Board from the Beebe era.)

Advertisement

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said teachers should not be required to carry guns, but stopped short of saying they should not be armed.

Jay Barth, the chair of the state’s board of education, took that a step further, telling the commission that armed school staff should never include teachers.

“To be an effective classroom teacher, it requires 100 percent of one’s attention,” Barth said. “I think that to alter one’s mindset in a way that is problematic.”

Barth also challenged the panel to take a broader view of school safety, considering issues like bullying and school climate in addition to rare worst-case scenarios like shootings.

He noted that several schools around the country have had mass shootings, despite the presence of armed security and law enforcement on campus.

“It is not a panacea,” Barth said of arming staff.

Absent from the meeting were representatives of groups that have opposed arming educators. Some of those groups have shared their thoughts at the commission’s previous public hearings. Among their concerns:

The presence of firearms may make students feel scared or anxious;

The presence of firearms could create security risks and increase liability for schools;

Firearms training for educators may be insufficient for complicated active-shooter situations; and

Arming educators may shift valuable resources away from necessary school programs, like those used to support students.

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article Former pediatrician plea bargains sexual assault case Next article State taxes run ahead of forecast to start fiscal year