Based on those kinds of calculations, teacher in service meetings or parent teacher conferences cost more lives than this school shooting.
eta: Not that there isn’t a valid point that arming every single teacher, even if effective, would probably be overkill. Having one per x number of students (or x square feet of campus size) would probably be just as effective and not actually require training, as there are likely a few already there. And the guns wouldn’t necessarily need to be on their person or in their classroom—just somewhere closer than the nearest police station.
Right, that was the implication. I don’t think they tend to do much to improve the quality of babysitting.
(Okay, somewhat harsh, but I was a teacher.)
but surely even if they did, it wouldn’t be enough to justify the cost in strict utilitarian calculations like the above?
Based on those kinds of calculations, teacher in service meetings or parent teacher conferences cost more lives than this school shooting.
eta: Not that there isn’t a valid point that arming every single teacher, even if effective, would probably be overkill. Having one per x number of students (or x square feet of campus size) would probably be just as effective and not actually require training, as there are likely a few already there. And the guns wouldn’t necessarily need to be on their person or in their classroom—just somewhere closer than the nearest police station.
Only if you quietly assume it has nothing to do with the important task of teaching.
Right, that was the implication. I don’t think they tend to do much to improve the quality of babysitting. (Okay, somewhat harsh, but I was a teacher.)
but surely even if they did, it wouldn’t be enough to justify the cost in strict utilitarian calculations like the above?
I don’t know, why wouldn’t it be? A high-tech wealthy economy depends on education, with all the direct & indirect returns implied.