‘You understand that you might have to shoot a student?’

From a Washington Post story about arming teachers.

“You understand that you might have to shoot a student?” he asked each of the applicants. “It could be your student, it could be one that’s not your student, but you’re going to have to make that decision and do it.”

As a final step, Newton went over the applications one day with the school board president, the school district’s treasurer, and a sheriff’s deputy who, once classes began, would be rotating among the schools. “It’s always going to be us four,” he told the group, any of whom could object to an applicant.

He explained about the concealed carry permit and said that any applicant they approved would take a three-day training run by an Ohio gun advocacy nonprofit group designed specifically for teachers. In addition, Newton said, anyone they approved would be required to go through annual background checks and drug testing, and would have to fire at least 100 rounds a month on a range.

On a table in front of Newton was a stack of files. Before picking up the first one, he mentioned the need for confidentiality. No one could know any names, he said. Not teachers. Not students. The program depended not only on the fact that some teachers would be armed, but also on the illusion that any teacher might be.

“So we’re going to have a kind of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy,” he said.

Alabama is arming its teacher as well, and keeping secrets as well.

How many schools are taking advantage of it?

Don't know.

Which teachers will be armed?

Don't know.

Will Police know?

The armed teachers will have a secret design bullet-proof vest to put on to identify them as "sentry" officers.

Governor Ivey's office says only schools with no school resource officer can apply. Alabama school administrators who meet the requirements would be able to "use lethal force to defend the students, faculty, staff, and visitors of his or her school from the threat of imminent bodily harm or death by an armed intruder,"

The Alabama chapter of Moms Demand Action, a group that calls for gun reform, posted on its Facebook page: "There is no evidence that arming teachers or other school staff or administrators will protect children in schools. School officials have other jobs they are meant to be doing. They aren't trained sharpshooters and don't have ongoing training."