NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) - Local parents and community members are speaking out on whether some teachers should be allowed to carry guns on school grounds.
It's a debate in the wake of the deadly school massacre in Florida.
On Twitter, President Donald Trump announced the idea and said it's a good one. He believes it would be ok to give concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training.
"It is controversial. It is touchy," a local parent explained.
Other community members said, if the teacher follows all the procedures like having a background check and even a mental health check, they would be fine with it.
"So you think teachers having guns in school could be a good thing? Possibly," the woman said.
Norfolk Federation of Teachers President Thomas Calhoun calls President Trump's tweets asinine.
He said, "We are not going to be armed in the classroom. We are not going to do the president or governments job. We are not going to fight people with assault weapons. We are trained to teach."
Calhoun said he's not the only one who thinks this way.
On Wednesday, he and thousands of others with the American Federation of Teachers held a press conference. Calhoun said they also have concerns.
"What happens is one gets lose? What happens if a student gets to it? What happens if there is a dispute? All these guns would now in the school. Would you send your kid there when there are 50 guns in there," Calhoun explained.
13News Now reached out to the local schools for their opinion on President Trump's tweets, but many declined to comment or didn't respond to our email.