"You want to arm me? Good. Arm me with a school psychologist who has time to do more than test and sit in meetings about testing. 

Arm me with enough counselors so we can build skills to prevent violence, have meaningful discussions with students about their future & not merely frantically adjust student schedules like a Jenga game...

Arm me with social workers who can thoughtfully attend to a student's & her family's needs so I. Can. Teach.

Arm me with enough school nurses so that they are accessible to every child and can work as a team with me rather than operate their offices as de facto urgent care centers.

Arm me with more days on the calendar for teaching & learning and fewer days for standardized testing.

Arm me with class sizes that allow my colleagues and I to know both our students and their families well.

Arm my colleagues & I with the time it takes to improve together & the time it takes to give great feedback to students about their work & progress.

Until you arm me to the hilt with what it will take to meet the needs of an increasingly vulnerable student population, I respectfully request you keep your opinions on schools and our safety to yourself NRA. Knock it off.

-Mary Cathryn Ricker, President of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers.