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URGENT: Call to Action

On April 23, 2024, The Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation that would allow teachers in Tennessee public school to concealed carry a firearm. The bill is problematic and Williamson County Schools (along with other districts throughout the state) are taking advantage of its flaws to render this law pointless and make our schools soft targets for deranged sociopaths. Keep reading to learn what you can do!​

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The next school board meeting is Monday, May 20 at 6:30pm.

 

Please RSVP below if you can make it! 

RSVP NOW

Let your ELECTED School Board Representatives (and beyond) know that you want our schools protected and our teachers to have the right to carry a concealed firearm in schools - if for no other reason than to be able to protect their own lives.

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Copy/paste the email addresses below to contact the District Leadership, Security Team, School board members, as well as Williamson County Sheriff's office.

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Not sure what to say - view this sample to guide your talking points.

Please note: The representatives in odd numbered school districts are up for re-election this fall. Remind them that they are in their seats because of YOUR vote.

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Contact Information

Notable Data from Ed Monk's Active Killer Research and Training
*note that this data is current as of 2021 and more tragic incidents have upheld these trends in the years since.
Learn More>>

WHAT'S IN THE LEGISLATION & WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS?

HB1202/SB1325 would allow teachers and staff who choose to do so, to carry concealed while at school as long as certain criteria are met, as follows:

  • Requires initial approval of the school district.

    • PROBLEM: This is initially problematic, as outlined in my video explanation of the bill, because it puts the decision in the hands of NON-ELECTED officials.​

  • Requires the teacher/staff to obtain a TN Enhanced Carry Permit.

    • NOTE: The permit process requires a background check, as does being an employee of the public school system​.

  • Requires teachers to submit two sets of fingerprinting for background check outside the permit and school hiring process.

    • NOTE and PROBEM: If someone cannot pass a background check to carry a firearm or to pass this process, they should not be in our schools anyway!!

  • Requires teachers to undergo and pass an evaluation by a psychiatrist/psychologist contracted by the law enforcement agency that employees the school resource officers (SROs).

    • PROBLEM: If a teacher/staff cannot pass this evaluation, should they be allowed to keep their job​?

  • Requires teachers to complete 40 hours of POST-certified training annually.

> EMAIL SAMPLE<

Copy of the email I have personally sent.

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Tips for greatest impact:

  • You may wish to send multiple emails over the next several days, with each email containing a separate point and unique subject line.

  • Personalize your message as much as you are able - it does make a difference.

  • Be sure to close the message with your name, and what school your child attends or which district you live in.

  • Use facts and data to support your position.

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SUBJECT LINE: ***Create your own subject for greatest impact - representatives often filter out messages with cookie cutter subject lines

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MESSAGE BODY:

When I learned about the Tennessee Legislature making a pathway for teachers and staff in the state of Tennessee to carry a concealed firearm in schools, I felt optimistic that we were moving in the right direction. I had my concerns with the legislation allowing NON-ELECTED administrators to be the gatekeeper for this important legislation but was optimistic that Williamson County Schools would do the right thing. And, this afternoon, the dreaded email came - notifying us that WCS does not hold the safety of our kids as its highest priority. Every day we entrust the school with the safety of the most valuable thing in our life - our children. Yet, schools - as "gun free zones" are the most vulnerable of places by their very status as a gun free zone. I cannot fathom why we would not take advantage of EVERY possible avenue for securing our schools and the lives of those inside.

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Deranged killers don't abide by laws, in fact, they use it to their advantage. As recently as last week, officials in Maryland obtained the manifesto of would-be school shooter Andrea Ye who wrote in her plans:

  •  "cherry pick the classrooms that are the easiest targets."

  • "I have also considered shooting up my former elementary school because little kids make easier targets."

  • "I'd want to kill a lot of people or it wouldn't be worth it."

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This is a common theme among killers - choosing easy targets with the opportunity for high casualties. AND, we know from all active shooter incidents in the past 30+ years that when the response has been to "call 911 and wait" casualties average in the double digits and at the same time we know that when someone is present, willing, and capable of acting, the casualties are in the single digits. I encourage you to review the raw numbers on this from Ed Monk's research on the topic- click here.

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I am grateful for the SRO's that we have in our schools and they certainly are a PART of a safe and secure campus - HOWEVER, we cannot overlook at tragedies like Parkland where the SROs took NO action and THEN then courts determined that the SROs had NO LEGAL OBLIGATION to act! Where does that leave us?

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We cannot overlook Uvalde, TX where it took officers over an hour to finally confront the shooter while 19 students and 2 teachers were murdered and 17 more injured. Had teachers there been armed, it is safe to say most of those people would still be alive. 

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I would be remiss if I failed to mention that not only am I a mom of two girls that attend Williamson County Schools but I am the owner of She Shoots Training, where I have been providing defensive firearms training to women in Middle Tennessee for more than 4 years.

 

Many of my clients are Williamson County School parents as well as staff/teachers. I have spent a great deal of time studying the patterns of sociopaths and killers in order to better protect my kids and myself from them should that dreaded day ever come AND to be able to prepare and equip my clients with the skills to stop these tragedies if they are present when one begins.

 

There is NO data showing that gun free zones are safer - in fact, ALL data makes it clear that gun free zones are consistently the targets of disturbed individuals who want to commit horrible acts of evil. PLEASE. Do the right thing and take advantage of EVERY possible avenue for keeping our kids safe by taking targets off their backs.

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I am more than willing to meet with anyone who wants to discuss this important issue. There is a real opportunity here to make WCS the SAFEST in the state - a goal we all want.

 

Thank you -

Kristin

(*District xx)

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