Local groups react to proposed federal funding for arming teachers

As Education Secretary Betsy DeVos considers using federal funds to arm teachers, local groups on both sides of the issue are weighing-in on the issue.

Congress passed a bill in March giving school districts $50 million to be split up by every district in the country to help improve school safety. But that money cannot be used to buy guns for school protection.

So, DeVos wants to use money from a grant under that bill which is intended to help academic performance and give it to school districts so they can buy guns for teachers.

The idea of arming teachers has been a subject of heated debates all across the country. A top union rep for teachers in the state called the proposal outrageous, while gun activists believe Secretary DeVos may be on to something.

The idea of arming teachers to begin with does not sit well with president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, Frank Flynn.

"We’re not trying to militarize our schools. Teachers are there to teach," Flynn said. "I think it’s appalling."

Flynn said taking that money away hurts students.

"We’re resource starved now in many of our schools," he said. "We need more staff in issues like mental health. We need more books. We need more supplies."

But Frank Saccoccio, president of the Rhode Island Second Amendment Coalition, said that if a teacher wants a gun to protect themselves, they should have one. 

He added that in a practical matter, arming teachers will be a relatively inexpensive solution to school security.

"The training would probably be done hand in hand with the police department and the police departments would probably not be charging someone for doing that," he said. "We really need to be upping our game to be sure our students are safe and a gun-free zone is not a way to do it."