Mitch Perry
The Florida Education Association hasn’t often championed Gov. Rick Scott‘s education proposals, but it is applauding his $500 million plan to address school safety that he announced Friday in Tallahassee.
The suite of proposals most notably does not include arming schoolteachers, an idea that President Donald Trump and other Florida Republican lawmakers have proposed in the wake of last week’s gun massacre in Parkland.
“I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who has mental issues to use a gun,” Scott said at a news conference unveiling his proposals. “I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who is a danger to themselves or others to use a gun.”
The plan does include spending $450 million to put a law enforcement officer in every public school, and one officer for every 1,000 students by the 2018 school year. It also calls for hiring more mental health counselors to serve every student a school and funding to provide metal detectors, bulletproof glass and steel doors.
Safety plans would be required before the money would be spent.
“Our members’ primary concern right now is to ensure that our students feel safe and cared for in our schools. We are determined that our students never again experience these all too common shootings,” Florida Education Association President Joanne McCall said in a statement. “We thank the governor and all those involved in crafting this proposal, it is very close to what the FEA has been calling for.”
Scott worked with a variety of experts in preparing his school safety plan, including educators.
An “overwhelming majority of citizens are in agreement that weapons designed for war have no place in our society,” McCall said, adding that while legislators can debate gun control regulations, the FEA will continue to focus on educating public school children and protecting students and education employees.
“We call on both sides of the gun debate to come together for our students — especially for the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High,” McCall said. “The safety of our students is in the hands of our elected officials. It is time to act. No more excuses.”
In defiance of the National Rifle Association, Scott also backed raising the minimum age to buy any firearm, including semi-automatic rifles, to 21 from 18.
3 comments
Robin S Rothman
February 25, 2018 at 8:07 am
Some progress is good. If this passes, still the work is not finished. It is really very important progress.
S J Rogers
February 26, 2018 at 4:35 pm
Rick Scott has been governor since 2011 and has had ample time to put together a plan to protect our students and their teachers. He has neglected to take even one step forward until now that he’s planning to run for the Senate. This is just a political move. Your inaction has proven you don’t care about students or the public school system. We know a con when we see one.
Smathe
February 28, 2018 at 7:56 pm
What about this $67 m towards arming teachers?! NO.
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