HOUSTON – The tragedy in Connecticut has intensified the already controversial topic of gun control.
For some, the focus isn't on stricter laws and who should or shouldn't be allowed to posses guns, but rather the question of whether teachers should be armed with protection.
"Yeah, I'm not totally against that," said Larry Cullen, who was a high school teacher for 36 years in the Houston area. He said it's something to consider, but districts would have to be careful.
"The big problem, of course, is they'd have to have it well concealed where no one could take it off their person, like a student," he said.
Cullen points to other methods of securing schools.
"I think there are other measures. You know, security measures at the doors," he said.
Gayle Fallon, President of the Houston Federation of Teachers, agrees.
"I think the last thing we need to do is have more guns on campus," she said.
Fallon said assigning armed police officers to schools would make campuses more secure, but she thinks districts need to first examine their safety policies and taking safety precautions, such as securing entrances to all school buildings.
"I somehow knew there would be a knee-jerk reaction from some people (saying), 'Oh... let's arm the teachers,'" she said. "Bad idea. But why don't we secure our schools more?"