I very much doubt this approach will grow legs anytime soon. Nor do I think such policies would work well in America's larger and more violent schools where arming a teacher would be analogous to arming a prison guard patrolling general population. A sensible enough policy in more rural, smaller schools perhaps.
A tiny Texas school district will allow teachers and staff members to carry concealed firearms to protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting employees follow certain requirements.
The small community of Harrold in north Texas is a 30-minute drive from the Wilbarger County Sheriff's Office, leaving students and teachers without protection, said David Thweatt, superintendent of the Harrold Independent School District. The lone campus of the 110-student district sits near a heavily traveled highway, which could make it a target, he argued.
"When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that's when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it out there that a group of people can't defend themselves? That's like saying 'sic 'em' to a dog," Thweatt said in a story published Friday on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Web site.
Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of School Boards, said her organization did not know of another district with such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland, Ohio-based school security expert who advises districts nationwide, said Harrold is the first district with such a policy.
Trustees approved the policy change last year, and it takes effect when classes begin this month. For employees 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 must use ammunition designed to minimize the risk of ricocheting bullets.
5 comments:
Public schools in my hometown are banning book bags(because heavens forbid you could have a gun in it especially those second graders. You know how violent they are) while schools in Texas are giving teachers the right to carry guns.
What would you propose as a solution to for larger more violent schools? School uniforms, to the dismay of any teenage girl, has been proven to help. Reminds me of the Broken Window Theory.
I expect the state will quash this before school reopens. It would not like to see this become widespread. Though personally I think it's a great idea.
Hall Monitor, an interesting and novel website.
glenn, I think any real solution lies largely with the societies that surround the school system. You mention the Broken Window Theory. That might be a start (certainly seemed to have worked for Rudy.)
Dick, I'm not surprised.
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