North Texas school district will let teachers carry guns

[Gan]

HARROLD, Texas — A tiny Texas school district may be the first in the nation to allow teachers and staff to pack guns for protection when classes begin later this month, a newspaper reported.

Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District approved a district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed firearms to deter and protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting teachers follow certain requirements.

In order for teachers and staff to carry a pistol, they must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; must be authorized to carry by the district; must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations and have to use ammunition that is designed to minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls.

Superintendent David Thweatt said the small community is a 30-minute drive from the sheriff's office, leaving students and teachers without protection. He said the district's lone campus sits 500 feet from heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target.

more...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5945430.html

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I dont know how I feel about this.

I advocate having licenses to carry. I also advocate law enforcement.

I personally dont think there is a need, in this small north texas town (10 miles on the other side of hell), and I qualify need as in a serious security threat or precedence of school violence, for teachers to go packing heat.

If the distance to the local law enforcement office is of that large a concern - then hire a full time officer or off duty officers to provide security. I simply dont feel that teachers can or will get the required amount of training to manage firearms in this circumstance, around something as precious as our children.

Now if this were near a large metropolitan area or in a school where there is a precedence of violence severe enough to warrant gun toting teachers - then I would prefer that school to hire trained police personnel for the job.

[Kembal]

Only in Texas, right, Gan?

Complete overreaction by the district. But beyond that, this sounds like a bad idea. A really bad idea.

[Gan]

LOL it does smack of Texas.

[Fallen]

Hell. I'm all for it.

[crb]

Size is irrelevant for need, how big is Columbine? The other places with high profile shootings?

If one teacher had had a gun at Columbine or VTech (or one student for that matter) people might be living today who are now dead. We've given guns to pilots if they miss you could have a hole in the fuselage and everyone on board will die.

They're not just handing them out, they're requiring training.

I know, I for one would feel better about my kid going to a school where there is a gun in the hands of someone with authority than going to a school in a "gun free" zone where no responsible adult can carry.

Sure, the ideal option is a full time on duty police officer, but small towns cannot afford that. They can't afford an officier for the outside-what-if contingency of one of their students going on a rampage. Providing a means for a teacher to defend his students though, that is a one time cost and is far cheaper.

Think of how many of these shootings progress.... students going from classroom to classroom shooting people. Obviously after the first shots people hear the place would go on "lock down" then a teacher basically just has to hold their classroom door, like a pilot would have to hold a cockpick door. The line of sight for shooting would be both easy and safe.

Quite frankly, I think an even better solution would be to put a shotgun in each classroom under lock & key and let the teacher wear the key around his neck. Sure, there is the risk of one being stolen, but by forcing keys to be worn around the neck ensures that the keys don't get lost or dropped (a thumb print scanner or palm reader would be an even better option) and wall or floor mounted safe isn't going to be broken into by some student. I'm talking heavy duty.

Maybe just a locker of them in the principle's office or something, but ya, something.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I think in some ways I can understand this being unsettling-- I can see a teacher accidentally shooting a student because they misread a situation.. but ultimately, with the proper training I don't see this as being a horrible development.

Still, I think Texas is one of only a few places in the US where this would be allowed.

[Back]

Only in Texas, right, Gan?

Complete overreaction by the district. But beyond that, this sounds like a bad idea. A really bad idea.

Overreaction to an unarmed man being shot? NO WAY!!!

[Parkbandit]

They're not just handing them out, they're requiring training.


They require 'training' for a concealed weapons permit in Florida. The 'training' consists of listening to a lecture for 2 hours, taking a 10 question 'test' where the instructor went over the exact answers as you had the test in front of you, and then firing a revolver at a target 5 yards away in front of the instructor. One shot.

I am a huge gun advocate.. but man, there were some people in the class of 100+ that simply looked too stupid to own a gun, much less carry one around.

[CrystalTears]

That was the training for concealed weapons. They have to take other training regarding crisis management as well.

I'm not sure about this. I'd probably like it better if they had the training and the gun was in a locked box in the room. To have it freely on their person at all times is not really necessary.

[Parkbandit]

That was the training for concealed weapons. They have to take other training regarding crisis management as well.

My point was they require training to carry a weapon.. and my experience was that the training was a complete and utter joke

I hope the crisis management training is far more involved.