SB 1857

[6 Point Star]

Any one heard anything about what changes in the class might be required to teach the school safety program to allow teachers to carry at the school. I know they said it would take more than a regular CHL class but I have not heard it mentioned since Sept 1.

Jerry

[infoman]

short answer- still in the works.. they're way too swamped with other stuff right now.

[wgoforth]

Depends what you are asking... teachers/staff with a CHL certainly may carry in school buildings with written approval of the institution. The program you speak of is a formal School Marshall program that only allows one teacher to act more as a School Resource Officer type capacity. But for years teachers/staff have been able to carry with written authorization. Over 25 ISD's in Texas are currently allowing such. I have assisted 4 schools in doing so.

[6 Point Star]

Sorry, I guess I misunderstood. I thought DPS had ruled that you could not carry at school unless you had the School Marshal instruction. I had several students wanting to get in the program. I will go back to the school and talk to them and see if they will issue permission.

Looks like it will be after the first of the year before this program gets going.

Jerry

[wgoforth]

Sorry, I guess I misunderstood. I thought DPS had ruled that you could not carry at school unless you had the School Marshal instruction. I had several students wanting to get in the program. I will go back to the school and talk to them and see if they will issue permission.

Looks like it will be after the first of the year before this program gets going.

Jerry

Lots of misunderstanding about the program. It's not about teachers carrying, it is about being appointed as to an official position. STill does not help if you are the teacher in the room where the shooting occurs. That is where armed teachers/staff would come in. The new legislation allows a teacher to act as an SRO where there is not one. Penal Code 46.03.a(1) authorizes anyone to be able to carry in a school if they have written authorization of the institution. I would suggest that if they decide to carry in a school building, they use frangible ammunition to avoid possible ricochet off block walls or desks. The Harrold ISD was the first I know in Texas to do so in 2007. Here is a link to their policy, written by the state attorney, that has become the model for other ISD's doing so. If you will google, you will find a couple of ISD's a month allowing such since Sandy Hook. http://xicanopwr.com/wordpress/wp-conte ... irearm.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[switch]

There were 2 bills - SB 17 and SB 1857. SB 17 provided for 'school marshals'. Specially trained by DPS for free, limited to 2 per school that did not already have SRO's. That bill was vetoed by the governor as too expensive. (Actually, neither bill calls them school marshals. I think that term would be more appropriate for these school employees, rather than be applied to teacher/CHL's with additional training.)

SB 1857 provided for special training by DPS of current CHL instructors that will be then certified to train teachers. I understand the class for teachers will be about 15 hours additional training. I have no idea how long the DPS class for instructors will last. :( I suspect it will be about a week too.

How many of us want to take another 40 hour class in Austin?

However, ANY CHL can carry in schools now (including teachers) IFF they have written permission from the school.