Parents in Oklahoma are now sparring with legislators who are moving to keep the names of armed teachers secret after a request to have the names revealed.

"After concerned parents requested the names of armed school personnel, the Oklahoma House approved legislation on Monday exempting these names from open records requests. The bill now moves to the Oklahoma Senate, where it will likely be approved. Governor Mary Fallin (R) has not indicated whether or not she supports the bill,” said ThinkProgress.org.

Some believe that parents should have a right to know which teachers are carrying a firearm. Said Rep. Jason Dunnington (D):

“If a teacher has firearms in the classroom, parents should be able to know who that is. What if the teacher is a notorious gun lover or mentally unqualified?”

The debate comes a year after the state passed a law allowing school staff to carry weapons so long as they received proper training and certification.

Oklahoma isn’t the first state to pass such legislation- and it’s also not the first to face controversy from doing so.

"Critics remain skeptical of the 'good guy with a gun’ argument — in other words, the idea that armed security is a deterrent for people who commit mass school shootings.”

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Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

4/7/2016