Speakout: Bulletproof White Boards for Teachers?

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) plans to purchase bulletproof white boards -- tools teachers can use to teach spelling as well as to protect themselves and students from tragedies like Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech. 

According to a Time article, The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) intends to purchase 200 bulletproof whiteboards from manufacturer Hardwire LLC. The 18-inch by 20-inch portable drawing boards are said to be able to absorb “multiple magazines of ammunition from any handgun or shotgun without ricochet or injury,” and retail for $299 each, according to Time.

“Classroom safety is not a pleasant topic,” UMES President Juliette B. Bell said in a news release. “Unfortunately, campus violence is a reality that we have to be prepared for, and this technology allows us to be proactive rather than reactive.”

As of last year, 297 people have been killed in school shootings since 1980; an average of roughly 9 murders each year, according to Time. 

Hardwire founder George Tunis said that the boards are meant to buy those in shooter situations some time until police arrive. 

In a release, Tunis said the boards are “Similar to a fire extinguisher, which buys time for the fire department. The Bulletproof Whiteboard is a tool that buys time until the police arrive in an active- shooter incident.”

What do you think about bulletproof whiteboards as a tool for teachers? Is this something local school systems should consider? Tell us in comments.