TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — More than a year after the Parkland high school shooting, emotions continue to run high at the Florida Capitol as lawmakers consider school-safety proposals that would expand a controversial “school guardian” program and allow trained teachers to be armed.
The House Education Committee on Thursday approved its version of the bill along party lines, following heated back-and-forth between Republican lawmakers who support the guardian program and teachers who testified that they oppose having colleagues carry guns.
The bill includes other changes to try to bolster school safety, but the hour-and-a-half debate primarily focused on the proposal that would broaden the guardian program, which is voluntary for school districts. A number of teachers also protested against expanding the program because they said it would put minority students at higher risk. Antonio White from Miami-Dade County, has taught for 25 years.
“Quite frankly, putting more guns in schools is not the answer to reducing gun violence. Arming teachers is dangerous, and there is no evidence to suggest it protects students or school personnel," said White.
Supporters of the guardian program say it helps protect against active-shooter situations. State Representative Vance Aloupis says the option for local control over whether or not to arm teachers is an important part of the bill.
“If there was ever a requirement that teachers were armed, I would not be able to support this bill," said Aloupis. "But, at this point, giving local control and giving local school boards the authority to make decisions on behalf of their students and on behalf of their parents, the people they are most responsive to, is a very important provision of this bill.”
Lawmakers rushed last year to pass a wide-ranging school safety bill after a gunman killed 17 students and faculty members on February 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
As part of the law, school employees whose primary duties are outside classrooms can be designated as guardians.
The House bill debated Thursday and a Senate version would expand the program to allow classroom teachers to serve as guardians. Fewer than half of the 67 school districts have decided to use guardians this year.
A Senate committee will consider its version of the bill on Tuesday.
