By Steve Gunn
EAGnews.org

DELAWARE, Ohio – Teacher union leaders across the nation seem unanimous in their opposition to the idea of arming school personnel.

But thousands of rank-and-file teachers obviously disagree.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

As many as 600 educators have signed up for a free “Armed Teacher Training Program” offered by the nonprofit Buckeye Firearms Foundation, according to the Dayton Daily News.

The foundation offered the program in response to last month’s deadly shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

While the foundation has received inquiries from educators from more than a dozen states, most of those who have registered are from Ohio. About 70 percent of registrants are classroom teachers, but there are also administrators, office personnel and guidance counselors signed up for the course.

“We threw it up on a map and (registrants) cover the whole state,” said Jim Irvine, one of the founders of the foundation. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we had someone from each of our 88 counties.”

Similar courses have been offered to education professionals in Utah and North Carolina, and each has attracted hundreds of educators.

“These are men and women, from public and private schools, big schools, small schools, the lunch lady, bus driver – the common thread is they all care about safety,” Irvine said. “These people really care about our kids more than the average person realizes. I guess we always knew about that, but it’s really come through in their comments.”

MORE NEWS: How to prepare for face-to-face classes

The foundation has agreed to completely cover the cost of training the first class of 24 participants. That will include tuition, ammunition and lodging, totaling about $1,000 per participant, according to the news report.

There will be a need for sponsors to cover the cost for others signed up for training.

The program apparently comes with the blessing of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, who urged training for educators to help protect students.

DeWine said the decision to arm teachers should be left to local school boards. State law gives school boards the authority to allow individuals to bring weapons on school campuses.

“The truth is that, while we train first responders, the real first responders in these tragedies are teachers,” DeWine said. “They’re the ones who are there. They’re the ones who are going to make the life-and-death decisions. They’re the ones that are doing to do what they can do to save lives.”

Patricia Frost-Brooks, president of the Ohio Education Association, reacted to the high interest in the training by stressing her union’s opposition to arming school personnel.

“Instead of arming educators, they can enhance school safety with more counselors, better mental health services and partnering with local police to deter violence in schools,” Frost Brooks said.

But others know there will always be troubled people out there, ready to strike at innocent targets at the most unpredictable times. They simply want educators to have the proper training to protect themselves and their students, if they choose to carry a weapon on campus.

“Some people say guns aren’t the solution, but when you call 911 you’re calling people with guns to make you safe,” Irvine said. “There idea here is not guns. The idea is safety and security. Anything we can do to lower that body count, that’s what we’re after.”