It’s an idea that seems to be as controversial as gun control itself: arming teachers in the classroom.
"Just thinking about what a teacher might go through in that situation,” Lori Sandel, Ohio administrator, said. “In the situation that happened in Florida, to think about how scary that might be and how highly emotional a teacher would be at that very moment."
Sandel said it’s a lot to think about, putting yourself in a situation to defend yourself and dozens of children, that’s why she believes no teachers should be armed in a school setting.
"I ask our administration and our teachers and our staff to do so much every single day,” Sandel said. “I couldn't imagine asking my teachers to carry guns on top of everything else."
On Thursday, President Donald Trump raised the suggestion to arm teachers for school safety, an idea that seems to get tossed around after every school shooting.
"We grasp at straws sometimes, rather than really just sitting down and thinking what are viable solutions,” Sandel said.
On the other side, though, people like Chris Cerino see it differently.
"I think that having armed personnel in the schools is fantastic,” Cerino, concealed carry trainer, said.
He trains for the FASTER Saves Lives program, an organization that teaches teachers and staff on active shooter drills.
"Having armed personnel in the school is going to exponentially increase the speed at which somebody can respond to an active shooter event,” Cerino said.
The president of the Ohio Education Association said they’re not in support of asking teachers to serve as both educations and security guards.
The full statement from Becky Higgins is below:
“We believe that teachers should not be asked to serve a dual role as educators and as school safety personnel armed with weapons. This is consistent with the views of the law enforcement community that putting guns in the hands of school employees is not the answer to improving school safety. When law enforcement officers respond to a school shooting, they can’t readily determine who is a “good guy” with a gun and who isn’t.
In any event, if school districts want to consider having their employees carry guns, it must be done in consultation with teachers and education support personnel. This will ensure that those who have an intimate understanding of daily school routines and the students they serve are heard. We also believe that parents, administrators and local law enforcement have a role to play in determining the best means for ensuring safe and orderly school environments.
We also urge that appropriate mental health services be provided for students as part of any program to prevent school violence.
Lastly, we call on elected officials to make sure there is adequate funding for school districts that may want to have local law enforcement officers in their schools. That’s a better way to go than arming school employees.”
The Ohio Education Association represents 125,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities.