baldeagle wrote:The_Busy_Mom wrote:Crossfire wrote:I am not real concerned about the loss of revenue from renewal students.
What I AM concerned about is making it through the summer. Students have cancelled classes right and left for May and June so they can wait for the shorter class in September. So, we might be taking the summer off in preparation for the September stampede.
I am also concerned that DPS will not be quick in responding to this change, and we will be scrambling to figure out how to manage the same class material in a shorter time, while still meeting DPS requirements.
I haven't had any cancellations, but I am making sure that I have at least a break-even point for my summer classes. I'm getting into prep mode for that September stampede as well. I just don't see where I am going to be able to really cut down the curriculum without teaching the test. It's do-able, I know, but really hard when you think all the information is good information!
TBM
Think about what you are required to teach as opposed to what you think it's good for the students to know. Use of force; non violent dispute resolution; handgun use; and safe and proper storage of handguns and ammunition are all that's required. The rest is fluff. Handgun use and safe and proper storage of handguns shouldn't take more than an hour.
That leaves you an hour and a half each for use of force and non violent dispute resolution. IMO both should get equal time. Note that there is no requirement to teach chl laws regarding prohibited locations, proper behavior in public, types of holsters, types of weapons, forms of concealment, and all those types of things that commonly get covered.
If I were an instructor, I would put together a small booklet about things you should know about having a CHL that I am not required to teach. I would hand that out at the end of every class along with the DPS TEXAS CONCEALED HANDGUN LAWS AND SELECTED STATUTES. And I would tell them, it is your responsibility as a CHL licensee to know all the laws and to fully understand your responsibilities. These booklets should serve as a reference and guide to assist you in learning what you need to know.
At the beginning I would cover handgun use and safe and proper storage. I would ask for a show of hands; how many have never touched a gun before? How many feel comfortable that they are handling guns in a safe manner? Then I would state that the goal of this hour is to get every one of you to the point that you will never handle a gun in an unsafe manner.
Next I would do non violent dispute resolution. I would finish with use of force. That way the class begins by stressing proper and safe handling of firearms, leads into non violent dispute resolution (because I just taught them how serious firearm ownership is and how easily someone can be hurt through improper handling and therefore deadly force should be a deliberate choice as well as the last resort.) Then, the last section of the class would be structured like this: You've learned proper handling and safety, you've learned how to avoid violent encounters, now let's talk about what you can and should do and what the law permits you to do when you have no options left and must use deadly force.
I'd probably do the range work between non violent dispute resolution and use of force. So, class begins at 8:30. Break at 9:30. Resume at 9:45 and go to 11:15 with a break at the half-way point. Break for lunch. Meet at the range at 1:15. Shoot until done. Resume class for 1 and 1/2 hours to complete the use of force section. Then administer the test and hand out certificates.
And believe me, that instructor was not teaching the full 10 hours of an initial. 
The instructor had the renewals arrive at lunch, gave them the info we had already covered in the morning, and then carried on. But you have to remember that renewals have already seen this information once before; it truly is a refresher. You aren't teaching renewals brand new information like you are initials. It's the initials that have the potential to be losing out. I'm not trying to make a case for no reduction - I believe in the reduction of the hours. But there will have to be some change in the way I present the material. And now that my hand is forced, I'll be making those changes sooner rather than later.