Florida superintendent: We don’t need to arm teachers

The head of the school district where 17 people were killed last week in a mass shooting pushed back on Wednesday against President Trump’s suggestion that arming teachers could prevent future shootings. 

“Some of the dialogue I’ve heard recently is about arming teachers. We don’t need to put guns in the hands of teachers,” Florida’s Broward County Superintendent Robert Runcie said, prompting raucous applause from the crowd. 

“You know what we need? We need to arm our teachers with more money in their pocket,” he added, speaking on CNN ahead of a televised debate on reform needed to prevent future school shootings.

{mosads}Runcie’s comments came hours after a listening session at the White House where Trump met with parents, students and family members with a connection to past school shootings, including survivors of last week’s shooting in Florida. 

One parent brought up the idea of arming teachers and administrators with concealed guns, which Trump said “is certainly a point we will discuss.” He then asked for a show of hands in the room to see who supported such a proposal.

“If you had a teacher who was adept at firearms, that could very well end the attack very quickly,” Trump said. “We’re going to be looking at that very strongly. And I think a lot of people are going to be opposed to it. I think a lot of people are going to like it.”

Runcie said Sunday he supports using a student’s school record in background checks for buying a firearm, and called for more collaboration among public safety agencies. 

Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., have spoken out in recent days after a gunman opened fire in their school on Feb. 14. The students have called on lawmakers to enact legislation that would curb gun violence and prevent school shootings.