美国国家公共电台 NPR Can Schools Use Federal Funds To Arm Teachers?

 

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

At a Senate Education Committee hearing today, the conversation turned again and again to one question. Is it legal for schools to use federal dollars to arm teachers? NPR's Cory Turner reports.

CORY TURNER, BYLINE¹: The federal money in question is officially known as Title IV. Its a billion-dollar pot intended for what the law calls student support and academic enrichment.

SHAVAR JEFFRIES: Well, there's a range of services that Title IV funds, from computer science programs, music, art, STEM, extended learning time.

TURNER: That's Shavar Jeffries, one of four witnesses at today's hearing and head of a group called Education Reform Now. Here's the key with Title IV. It gives school districts a lot of room to decide what they buy with this money. In fact, there's even a line in the law about spending for violence prevention.

Last month, the New York Times reported that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was considering allowing districts to use Title IV money to arm teachers. Now, DeVos is not saying everybody do this. Only if that's what districts want to do, she doesn't think she can stop them because she says the law doesn't explicitly² prohibit it. In today's hearing, the committee's top Republican, Lamar Alexander, said he's no fan of arming teachers, but he agreed with DeVos.

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LAMAR ALEXANDER: As I read the law, Title IV specifically gives states the decision about spending their money to create safe conditions, including drug and violence prevention.

TURNER: Alexander's referring to a section that talks about using the money to promote school safety so that students are free from violent and disruptive acts. But Democrats³ point to the same section, which also talks about the creation of a school environment that is free of weapons. Today, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts pointed⁴ out that many schools can barely afford nurses or guidance counselors⁵.

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ELIZABETH WARREN: Allowing schools to use scarce federal dollars to put guns in classrooms is an idea that is dangerous and dumb. And it clearly wasn't our intent.

TURNER: One big caveat⁶ here - it's not clear many states have any interest in doing this, especially if today's panelists are any indication. Matthew Blomstedt is the education commissioner⁷ in Nebraska.

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MATTHEW BLOMSTEDT: I would say in Nebraska's case, we've had no serious conversations at all about trying to use federal funds for that approach, and I wouldn't support that.

TURNER: And Molly Spearman, a former teacher and South Carolina's current school superintendent⁸, says her state's focusing its money...

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MOLLY SPEARMAN: On mental health counselors, school resource officers and training of teachers.

TURNER: In recent weeks, lawmakers have been crafting a spending bill for the U.S. Department of Education. And Democrats have tried to add language that makes clear these dollars cannot be used to arm teachers. But the bill currently moving through Congress includes no such ban. Cory Turner, NPR News, Washington.

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1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

5 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册

6 caveat   

n.警告； 防止误解的说明

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling.为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。
• As I have written before,that's quite a caveat.正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。

7 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

8 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。