Arms Training Approved for Teachers

[mrpesas]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Arms-T ... t_DFWBrand" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm not sure if this has been finalized and put into action. What are the specifics of the bill?

[jmra]

Maybe someone more familiar with the bill can chime in, but I don't know what this accomplished. ISDs can already give permission to CHLs to carry on campus.
Maybe this bill makes it less of a liability for the school? Don't see how, but maybe.

[HK_USP_45]

This bill was not good. It created a new class of peace officer called a School Marshall. But they can't carry a weapon if they are with students. That makes them useless in an active shooter situation. "Excuse me while I go get my weapon out of that box over there". Also, one per 400 students. The armed staff are most vital in small districts. If you have 900 students on three campuses, now what. And if the "Marshall" is out that day, then what. Not a well thought out piece of legislation. Small schools will stick with the current model, IMHO. My school district will. You don't need peace officers. You need armed staff that can act as speed bumps until the peace officers arrive or to act as a deterrent in the first place. You need to make your school less inviting than the next school down the road.

[Strat9mm]

This bill was not good. It created a new class of peace officer called a School Marshall. But they can't carry a weapon if they are with students. That makes them useless in an active shooter situation. "Excuse me while I go get my weapon out of that box over there".

From the article: "Marshals working directly with students would have to keep their guns in a lockbox "within immediate reach," according to the measure. Marshals not working with students would be allowed to carry concealed weapons."

Teachers, Tutors, Teachers Aides, SPED teachers, and advisors/counselors all work 'with' students. The words "within immediate reach" would imply that a lockbox in the actual classroom would fulfill the letter of the law as well as provide a secure location for the weapon and allow a teacher to provide some level of protection for the students.

Also, administrative as well as office and other support staff do not work 'WITH" students. My reading of the law shows these could legally conceal carry if trained and CHL current. No lockbox required since many of these roam the school in the performance of their regular job duties and do NOT work with students directly.

I do agree with your other points. 1 'Marshall' for 200 students or per campus, would have given better protection, in my view.

Then again, School Districts in Texas apparently already have the authority to allow staff who have CHL's to carry on campus.

[HK_USP_45]

"Immediate reach" is going to be impossible to accomplish when you have a stationery location and a mobile "Marshall" that works with students. "Works with students" is a very broad definition and will eventually require a court case to define. The schools will be better off going with full time law enforcement on site if they want to consider the Marshall plan (not the one developed for post World War II Europe).

The other issue you have with a lock box is you invite burglary to see if someone might have left a gun over night or even during the day when the room is empty. If the staff member can't keep control of a weapon or is in a situation where the students they work with would be subject to trying to take a weapon from a staff member, they don't need to have one. And, since it is supposed to be confidential who is armed and who is not, you will have to put lock boxes in all classrooms or you will then identify who is armed by the fact that their room (location) has a lock box. I am a school board member and my district has been looking into this issue prior to the Newtown incident. It is a difficult decision and one that is a sad commentary on our society in general. Since I have a law enforcement background, I have taken the lead on the issue up till now. We have looked for input from local law enforcement and the State. We have spent money on beefing up our physical security in a number of areas and beefing up our security planning and drills.

I sincerly believe this law will not help and takes away the ability for local authorities to implement the few good parts of this law as it would best benefit the district. Maybe it can be cleaned up in the next session. Again, my informed opinion.

[ELB]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Arms-T ... t_DFWBrand

I'm not sure if this has been finalized and put into action. What are the specifics of the bill?

It has passed both houses and goes to the Governor for signature: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLook ... ill=HB1009" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Text here: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLook ... ill=HB1009" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (I believe the "enrolled" version at the bottom is the final one).

I agree that this bill does not really seem helpful, and the lockbox idea is just...ludicrous...and the "works directly with students" will have everyone tied on knots about what it means, with anti-2A types suing over the question just to tie the school system up and make it too much of a nuisance to deal with.

It appears to me that if a school authorized (some) teachers with CHLs to carry, then those teachers, "working directly with students" could have their handguns on them, but the "school marshal" could not.

Schools that are serious will authorize teachers with CHLs to carry. Schools that are really serious and have some budget will authorize teachers with CHLs to carry AND hire regular texas peace officers as well, and work out a way not to shoot each other if something happens.

Schools that are not serious will wail about "guns don't belong in school" right up until some psycho walks in and shoots the place up.