I trained to be an educator, not a sharpshooter

I am rare in that I am an accidental academic. I never aspired to hold a Ph.D. or to have a fancy title. However, I loved being part of a research team and after years of doing just that I had an opportunity to attend graduate school. I chose the special education program because I believed it would give me additional tools to serve some of the most marginalized people within our society. I wanted to be as effective as possible in helping youth who were struggling as they moved toward adulthood.

My program at the University of Oregon promised I would, “Learn from the best researchers in the field of special education” and prepare me for:

• Research and teaching positions in higher education
• Policymaking positions in state and federal government
• Consultation positions in professional education

Notice it does NOT mention that it would prepare me to take down an active shooter! The idea that as educators we must be ready to go into combat in our classrooms is shameful to our nation and absurd.

Both as an adjunct faculty member and a research scientist at universities in Seattle, I was provided information to prepare in case of an active shooter event. The universities provided us with some basic tips and a link to a 5:55-minute video “Run…