CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thousands of local students walked out of schools in metro Charlotte on Wednesday to protest gun violence in schools.
[Local students participate in national walkout against school violence]
President Donald Trump and some other lawmakers in North Carolina think the answer to school safety is arming teachers.
"I'm not against having a gun, but you have to be responsible. You can't go overboard," father Frank Doggett said.
Doggett was on his way to apply for a concealed carry permit when he talked with Channel 9, but he said that isn't something he'd ever want his children's teachers to have.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders outlined its official stance on Tuesday, saying, in part, " ... parents and students do not want guns in their classrooms and police officers do not want more guns on school campuses."
Justin Parmenter, a former teacher of the year nominee for CMS, said he doesn't want to carry a gun on top of all the other responsibilities he handles in the classroom.
Full CMS statement on teachers and guns:
CMS joins districts and teachers in North Carolina and across the nation in strong opposition to arming teachers in classrooms.
The voices of the vast majority of educators, families and law enforcement officials have been heard - teachers do not want to be armed, parents and students do not want guns in their classrooms and police officers do not want more guns on school campuses.
CMS has strengthened security measures in schools across the district and will make further recommendations to increase safety and security through the upcoming budget process.
"Teachers are already wearing so many hats and so many things are happening at the same time, so I think the potential for that kind of accident happening on a really wide scale is far too high," Parmenter said.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper also outlined his plans to make schools safer on Wednesday.
He wants to increase training for staffers who help students with mental health issues. He's also calling for a ban on bump stock devices that turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns.
[NC Gov. Cooper proposes gun law changes after school shootings]
Cooper said he is pushing to raise the age to buy an AR-15 rifle from 18 to 21 in North Carolina.
He won't arm teachers, but he is asking law enforcement agencies to check their emergency plans and train for the worst.
There are 170 armed school resource officers in CMS -- one at each school.
They're sworn police officers, so they're paid by the law enforcement agencies they work for, such as CMPD.
Parents such as Doggett think the best way to protect students is to fund more officers in schools.
"To put your child's safety on one person covering a huge campus is unrealistic," he said.
CMS leaders said they’re still reviewing a number of options to make schools safer but they aren't saying what options are on the table.
As teachers are asked to do more and more in our classrooms, it's important to note they're still paid much less in North Carolina compared to many other states. The starting salary is $35,000.
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