Yesenia Herrera, a first grade teacher in Boston, has undergone training that helps teachers assess when they should flee, lock down or try to fight back during an attack.
However, she said she does not think teachers should be armed, a subject that’s been hotly debated in the wake of the Parkland, Florida massacre. As part of his strategy to deter more school shootings, President Donald Trump has said he wants around 20 percent of the most “gun adept” teachers to be armed.
“I’m not a soldier,” Herrera told CNBC recently, a sentiment voiced by a number of teachers around the country who are nervous about having weapons in the classroom. “I can’t even imagine myself being a soldier . . . I picture myself getting my kids out of there or hidden.”