In the wake of school shootings over the last year, one solution keeps rearing its head: Allowing teachers to carry firearms to defend against shooters.

President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association have advocated the plan. In February, Trump said he would even designate federal money to funding teacher training and suggested teachers get a bonus for carrying.

“What I said was to look at the possibility of giving ‘concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience – only the best,’” Trump said in a series of tweets Feb. 22. “20% of teachers, a lot, would now be able to immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions.

“Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A ‘gun free’ school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!”

Trump added that teachers would be able to respond much faster than first responders.

Texas is one state that already lets some teachers, administrators and staff members carry weapons. However, it’s not as widespread as advocates would have.

Currently, Texas has a “school marshall” program that allows school districts to send employees to rigorous training programs. Once they graduate from the program, employees can, secretly, carry firearms on campus. Conroe ISD is not one such campus.

The idea has not set well with everyone.

CCHS English teacher Marisela Payne said she does not support arming teachers under any circumstance because of the many variables a school operates in. Adding guns into the environment, she said, would add more risks into the school.

“I am a sturdy 5’ 3”, but two or three students could easily overpower me and retrieve the gun I’ve been armed with from my person or however it is secured in the room,” Payne said. “My job is to teach a set of skills, not serve and protect. If I wanted to use a weapon to protect citizens of my area, I would have joined law enforcement.”

There are students, like junior Matthew Clemmer, who agree with Payne. Clemmer said the plan may sound good, but comes with other risks and would be hard to enforce.

“If you think about it, what’s to stop a teacher from opening fire on a classroom of students?” Clemmer says.

Nationwide, teacher advocacy groups have been against the idea. The National Association for School Resource Officers has argued that more guns on campus could cause confusion during an active shooter situation, according to a statement released by the group.

Senior Flor Guajardo disagrees, saying she would not mind teachers having guns.

“My family owns guns in our house and we’ve never had an issue with a younger child or even an upset person in the house go crazy wanting to do any harm with the gun,” Guajardo said. “I believe that it’s important that teachers have guns because, in the case that someone does come into the school and tries to harm us, a teacher’s first reaction would be to try to protect the students and risk their own lives.

“So, giving them a chance to at least fight back and defend themselves and defend the students in the class will give them a higher chance in living.”