It's the hot topic of debate now throughout the state and especially on social media after Wednesday’s tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida: Should teachers be armed with weapons and trained to fight back during active-shooter situations?
Seventeen innocent lives were taken after a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, including a high school football coach who police say acted as a human shield to protect students from gunfire.
“Our teachers have had to become the first line of defense out of necessity because nobody else is standing up for those kids when these things happen," said Zeph Capo, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers.
The shooting is igniting, yet again, the debate over gun control on school campuses, and many people are sounding off on social media, saying those teachers inside the classrooms should be trained and armed, and that’s the solution.
But others are saying not so fast.
“I think putting more guns on campus is adding to the problem," Capo said.
Capo says putting weapons in the hands of teachers just makes the guns more accessible to the students. He believes the answer lies in tighter restrictions and better training.
“Training to ensure that doors are locked, training to make sure that kids are moved to the safest areas of the room, knowing how to use what’s in the room to create barriers for yourself," Capo said.
It’s unclear in Houston if any teachers are already armed, but some districts say that’s on purpose.
"I’d prefer to keep evil people who want to do harm,” said Klein ISD Police Chief David Kimberly. “I’d prefer to keep them guessing as to what our level of readiness is.”
Several Houston-area school districts have their own police forces and officers who patrol each of the campuses. They do carry weapons.