There's a call to consider arming some of Alabama's teachers in the classroom to help better protect students. BamaCarry, a gun rights group, says it supports the idea of some teachers being armed in the classroom once they receive proper training. "And nobody could know who they are," BamaCarry president Eddie Fulmer says. "We all know that when school shootings happen, the first person on the scene with a gun stops the shooting." The president of BamaCarry says it's not always someone in law enforcement who stops the shooter. He says teachers having the ability to do so could save lives when seconds matter. "Can you imagine a criminal coming up to a school with evil intent and seeing a sign that says: some of our teachers are armed," Fulmer adds. "That's all it would have to say."The executive director of the Hoover-based National Association of School Resources Officers weighed in on the idea of armed teachers. "How is that teacher going to be trained?" NASRO executive director Mo Canady asks. "What kind of a background do they have? Are they prepared to potentially take a life and in many cases, the life of a student who would happen to be the assailant in this situation."He says having a carefully selected and specially trained school resource officer on-campus has in many instances stopped an act of violence. "When law enforcement arrives, how are we going to identify the teacher as a good guy or a bad guy," Canady says.BamaCarry stresses that not every teacher needs to be armed, but those who are qualified. Alabama Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey released a statement to WVTM 13 on arming teachers in the classroom. “Although the safety and security of teachers and students are of paramount concern to us, we do not advocate for arming teachers in the classroom. The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) strongly supports the presence of school resource officers, enhanced school building security, as well as surveillance system linked to trained law enforcement professionals. Governor Ivey convened the Securing Alabama’s Facilities of Education (SAFE) Council to implement measures that increase safety and security in Alabama schools. The ALSDE is proud of our efforts to help identify threats and provide interventions for students who are at risk of committing violence. In 2022, the Alabama legislature provided funding, and the ALSDE created Mental Health Services Coordinators positions for trained mental health coordinators in nearly all school systems across the state. The ALSDE has spearheaded safety programs that include school-based mental health support, identifying warning signs, reporting threats and tracking school violence. We also support continuous training for school officials that include establishing district safety coordinators, school safety and compliance teams, and creating an overall culture of safety in our schools.”