Harrold school district to staff: Pack your pistols

[Boxerrider]

I'm ok with everyone with a CHL being allowed to carry on campus. I see parents and other members of the community entering the school's campus armed exactly as I go to the bank or grocery store. But when you are a school employee you are part of a team responsible for the lives of a lot of other people's children. Also I feel a ND is more likely to happen where you feel comfortable and become complacent. Accidents occur when guns get moved from one place to another, get checked to see if they are loaded, or just grossly mishandled. We've heard, "then the gun just went off" way too many times already.

[tedwitt]

One of the people that commented on this in the Houston Chronicle claims to be a teacher in Katy and says they are about to do the same thing.

[troglodyte]

Superintendent Thweatt was on Gun Talk and Good Morning America today. In both cases he did a good job. He is scheduled to be on Fox & Friends and Glenn Beck in the future.

While there will be continued discussion on this board and others as to the requirements the school district imposes, I think it is still a step in the right direction. IF the legislature will come through for us this session it won't matter.

[troglodyte]

I'm ok with everyone with a CHL being allowed to carry on campus. I see parents and other members of the community entering the school's campus armed exactly as I go to the bank or grocery store. But when you are a school employee you are part of a team responsible for the lives of a lot of other people's children. Also I feel a ND is more likely to happen where you feel comfortable and become complacent. Accidents occur when guns get moved from one place to another, get checked to see if they are loaded, or just grossly mishandled. We've heard, "then the gun just went off" way too many times already.

And I hope, if the unthinkable happens, to be able to send more of them home to their parents alive.

As for the latter of your statements, What moving "from place to place" and "check to see if they are loaded"? My firearm stays on my hip and is loaded. There is no moving or checking. It is always loaded if I am carrying it and when I'm carrying it I'm not messing with it. "Grossly mishandled", "Comfortable and complacent"? Give us a little credit please. Like we're going to be pulling it out in class and laying it on the lectern. Geesh. If I can carry everywhere else, day in and day out and not have a ND or gun scare or shoot up the mall or my congregation, then why don't I have the mental and physical capibilities to carry the same way at school?

[lunchbox]

I'm ok with everyone with a CHL being allowed to carry on campus. I see parents and other members of the community entering the school's campus armed exactly as I go to the bank or grocery store. But when you are a school employee you are part of a team responsible for the lives of a lot of other people's children. Also I feel a ND is more likely to happen where you feel comfortable and become complacent. Accidents occur when guns get moved from one place to another, get checked to see if they are loaded, or just grossly mishandled. We've heard, "then the gun just went off" way too many times already.

And I hope, if the unthinkable happens, to be able to send more of them home to their parents alive.

As for the latter of your statements, What moving "from place to place" and "check to see if they are loaded"? My firearm stays on my hip and is loaded. There is no moving or checking. It is always loaded if I am carrying it and when I'm carrying it I'm not messing with it. "Grossly mishandled", "Comfortable and complacent"? Give us a little credit please. Like we're going to be pulling it out in class and laying it on the lectern. Geesh. If I can carry everywhere else, day in and day out and not have a ND or gun scare or shoot up the mall or my congregation, then why don't I have the mental and physical capibilities to carry the same way at school?

Come on that would be a good lecture item. Pull it out through it on the desk "ok kids we are going to talk about the bill of rights"

[waterpump1]

Trump said he would have advised against allowing teachers to arm themselves, if only because of liability concerns. In the long run, it could have been cheaper and safer to hire security or off-duty police, he said.

I guess I'm at a loss to understand this statement. Maybe I'm just "thick", but since the teachers are already on the payroll (and assuming they are not being compensated to carry) how could it be "cheaper" to hire security personnel or off-duty police?

Somebody help me here.

Is he assuming there will be a litigation down the road if teachers carry, but not if security does?

[anygunanywhere]

I stopped by Lawdog Files.

He suggested we email Mr. Thweatt of the Harrold School District and offer him our support.

We can do this.

I already did.

These people are individuals of vision. History is marked by people like these and they are truly rare and show themselves in few places. Harrold is a blessed place to have these people.

This step will do more to raise our cause than any other action we could take.

Anygunanywhere

[Greybeard]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=5587421&page=1 includes video of interview with Good Morning America. Mr. Thweatt pretty well swatted every loaded question the guy threw at him.

I think that I heard him say on Gun Talk Radio today that he'll be doing Fox and Friends in the morning (Monday).

[Excaliber]

I stopped by Lawdog Files.

He suggested we email Mr. Thweatt of the Harrold School District and offer him our support.

We can do this.

I already did.

These people are individuals of vision. History is marked by people like these and they are truly rare and show themselves in few places. Harrold is a blessed place to have these people.

This step will do more to raise our cause than any other action we could take.

Anygunanywhere

Please be so kind as to share Mr. Thweatt's email address so the rest of us can send him our support.

[lunchbox]

I stopped by Lawdog Files.

He suggested we email Mr. Thweatt of the Harrold School District and offer him our support.

We can do this.

I already did.

These people are individuals of vision. History is marked by people like these and they are truly rare and show themselves in few places. Harrold is a blessed place to have these people.

This step will do more to raise our cause than any other action we could take.

Anygunanywhere

Please be so kind as to share Mr. Thweatt's email address so the rest of us can send him our support.

[anygunanywhere]

http://harroldisd.net/

Copied from Lawdog:

On the Harrold ISD homepage linked above, click the "Faculty and Staff" button on the top bar.

On the "Faculty and Staff" page, look to the left. Just under the blue box on the left, you will see a "List and E-Mail" button. Clicking on this will bring up the e-mails of all Harrold ISD staff, with Mr. David Thweatt at the very top.

Anygunanywhere

[seamusTX]

You can certainly e-mail the gentleman if you feel moved to do so, but I'm betting his mailbox has been full since last week.

It wouldn't hurt to vent to the local media.

- Jim

[anygunanywhere]

You can certainly e-mail the gentleman if you feel moved to do so, but I'm betting his mailbox has been full since last week.

It wouldn't hurt to vent to the local media.

- Jim

I agree. We need to show undying positive support on all fronts.

Anygunanywhere

[seamusTX]

KAUZ TV, Wichita Falls: http://www.kauz.com/inside/contact
KWFS radio: http://www.newstalk1290.com/main.php
Wichita Falls Times Record: http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/200 ... un-policy/

- Jim

[Greybeard]

also lifted from Law Dog's blog (http://thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com/):

article in the regional newspaper:

By Linda Stewart
For the Times Record News
Friday, August 15, 2008

VERNON (Special) — Harrold school district Superintendent David Thweatt’s recent television coverage of his district’s policy of letting some of his faculty carry handguns failed to tell the whole story, and even suggested that what they are doing is illegal or against school policy.
The idea was researched for about a year and a half before any action was taken to implement the emergency plan. The people involved go through extensive initial training and regular follow-up training, Thweatt said.

The small rural school is located in Wilbarger County just off U.S. 287 between Vernon and Electra. Response time from law enforcement agencies ranges from a minimum of 20 minutes to possibly 30 minutes if a life-threatening or dangerous situation were to arise, Thweatt said.

The superintendent said following much research, asking many hard questions and conferences with state officials, new security measures were implemented.

The district’s school board passed a policy Oct. 22, 2007, that would allow certain faculty members to possess the weapons. Thweatt said the school has about 25 faculty members, including himself.

“Out of that number, from one to 25 of those faculty members has undergone extensive training,” he said. He declined to provide an exact number for security reasons.

Thweatt said the policy approved by the school board requires that each person who has possession of a handgun be approved by the board on an individual basis.

Only those school employees who have obtained and maintain a current license, in accordance with state law, to carry a concealed handgun are eligible to be authorized to possess a firearm on school property, the policy states.

It also said any school employee authorized to possess a firearm on school property shall be provided additional training in crisis intervention and management of hostage situations.

Once approved, participating faculty members undergo specialized training to meet the needs of the school system and are required to participate in ongoing training throughout the year. Those approved must have a concealed handgun in their possession at all times, Thweatt said.

He said faculty members involved were required to take the standard concealed handgun course and additional training for their situation at the school.

“The training they did receive was very intense and very appropriate for our situation,” Thweatt said.

The superintendent said the school didn’t have the resources to pay a police officer or security guard.

Thweatt said the school system has the same magnetic strips used by many courthouses and banks that allow a keyless entry in place for several years. Entry to the school can only be made through one door during school hours.

The school boasts a state-of-the-art security system, he said. Buttons are located in the office areas that will sound an alarm and automatically lock all doors in the school when activated.

The alarms are used only for a dangerous situation that requires a lockdown. An intercom system is used to alert students and faculty of impending tornados, fires, etc. Security cameras are also located throughout the school.

The school is located near Burlington Northern Railroad tracks, and buses are kept ready to load students and head out in the event of a toxic situation involving train traffic, he said.

“What we have done is the best of the best,” Thweatt said. “We are as connected as we can get.”

He said Burkburnett school officials came to look at Harrold’s system and adopted same security system for their buildings.

With help so far away, officials started looking at the state law and discovered that the school board has the power to make whoever they choose within the faculty school police officers.

The superintendent said it’s unfortunate to come to the point to have to take what some might consider drastic measures.

“I think making schools gun-free zones was one of the stupidest things ever done on earth,” Thweatt said.