At least two school districts in Pennsylvania now allow their police officers to store and use semi-automatic rifles such as AR-15s on school premises, arguing the weapons will help keep students safe from potential shooters.

“We know there’s a lot of kids that have problems at home, tough times at home that we don’t know anything about,” Azinger said, speaking on the Senate floor. “Maybe they’ll look up one day and say, ‘In God We Trust’ and know they can put their hope in God.”

"It's going to hurt Black communities and it's going to hurt those students who would take this class as an option to explore the good, bad and ugly of our history, which makes them better students and better adults for society," American Federation of Teachers Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick Ingram said in an interview with GMA 3 Thursday.

Dr. Mark Penny, superintendent of Lincoln County R-III in Troy, Missouri, believes every student can find success in public education, no matter their circumstance.