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Every now and then, an elected official will suggest bringing in the National Guard to deal with violence that seems out of control.

A city council member in Washington suggested doing so in 2023 to . So did a Pennsylvania representative concerned about .

In February 2024, officials in Massachusetts be deployed to a more unexpected location 鈥� .

Brockton High School has been struggling with . One school staffer said she was rushing to see a fight. Many teachers , leaving the school understaffed.

As a , I know Brockton鈥檚 situation is part of a who have been struggling to deal with perceived in since the pandemic.

A review of how the National Guard has been deployed to schools in the past shows the guard can provide service to schools in cases of exceptional need. Yet, doing so does not always end well.

How have schools used the National Guard before?

In 1957, the National Guard . While the governor claimed this was for safety, the National Guard effectively delayed desegregation of the school 鈥� as did the mobs of white individuals outside. Ironically, weeks later, the National Guard and the U.S. Army would enforce integration and the safety of the 鈥淟ittle Rock Nine鈥� on .

One of the most tragic cases of the National Guard in an educational setting came in 1970 at Kent State University. The to respond to protests over American involvement in the Vietnam War. The guardsmen fatally shot four students.

In 2012, then-Sen. Barbara Boxer, a Democrat from California, to use the National Guard to provide school security in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting. The bill .

More recently, the National Guard in New Mexico鈥檚 K-12 schools during the quarantines and sickness of the pandemic. While the idea did not catch on nationally, teachers and school personnel in New Mexico generally reported positive experiences.

Can the National Guard address school discipline?

The includes responding to domestic emergencies. Members of the guard are part-time service members who maintain civilian lives. Some are students themselves in colleges and universities. Does this mission and training position the National Guard to respond to incidents of student misbehavior and school violence?

On the one hand, New Mexico鈥檚 pandemic experience shows the . Similarly, the guards鈥� eventual role in ensuring student safety in Arkansas demonstrates their potential to address exceptional cases in schools, such as racially motivated mob violence. And, of course, many schools have had military personnel teaching and mentoring through for years.

Those seeking to bring the National Guard to Brockton High School . They note that staffing shortages have contributed to behavior problems.

One school : 鈥淚 know that the first thought that comes to mind when you hear 鈥楴ational Guard鈥� is uniform and arms, and that鈥檚 not the case. They鈥檙e people like us. They鈥檙e educated. They鈥檙e trained, and we just need their assistance right now. 鈥� We need more staff to support our staff and help the students learn (and) have a safe environment.鈥�

Yet, there are reasons to question whether calls for the National Guard are the best way to address school misconduct and behavior. First, the National Guard is a temporary measure that does little to address the .

Research has shown that students , meaningful and sustained and . Such educative and supportive environments have been . National Guard members are not trained as educators or counselors and, as a temporary measure, would not remain in the school to establish durable relationships with students.

What is more, a military presence 鈥� particularly if uniformed or armed 鈥� may make students feel less welcome at school or escalate situations.

Schools have already seen an increase in militarization. For example, school police departments have gone so far as to acquire .

Research has found that school police make students more likely to and to be . Similarly, while a National Guard presence may address misbehavior temporarily, their presence could similarly result in students experiencing punitive or exclusionary responses to behavior.

Students deserve a solution other than the guard

School violence and disruptions are serious problems . Unfortunately, schools and educators have increasingly to be dealt with through suspensions and police involvement.

A number of people 鈥� from the NAACP to the local mayor and other members of the school board 鈥� Brockton鈥檚 request for the National Guard. Governor Maura Healey has said she will to the school.

However, the case of Brockton High School points to real needs. Educators there, like in other schools nationally, are and resources.

Many schools need more teachers and staff. Students need access to mentors and counselors. With these resources, schools can better ensure educators are able to do their jobs without military intervention.

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

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