MOLINE, Illinois - Congresswoman Cheri Bustos made a stop in Moline today to talk to local educators about school safety.
Originally, the round table discussion was supposed to address a teacher shortage in Illinois. Instead, the conversation turned to keeping kids safe in schools.
It comes after the shooting in Parkland, Florida last week.
Now, President Donald Trump is suggesting teachers be armed with guns to prevent school shootings. Congresswoman Bustos saying the suggestion is irrational.
"We need to make sure democrats and republicans, we're not throwing grenades at each side but we sit down and talk in a rational reasonable way about what will fix this problem in America and I don't think we should jump to a place and say our teachers need to be armed." said Rep. Bustos.
One local superintendent agrees with Bustos.
"Our jobs as educators is to teach kids. I don't think it's a great idea personally to do that," says United Township Superintendent Jay Morrow.
"There is not enough money in the school budget to even have crayons or pencils or paper. So now all of a sudden, where money is so hard to come by, you've got the President saying that teachers should be armed and paid a bonus?" questioned Bustos.
When someone tries to buy a gun, Bustos said we need to look closer at criminal background checks and to the no-fly list.