Dallas

Presidents of Local Teacher's Associations Express Concerns About Arming Staff

Both the Dallas presidents of the Alliance-American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association do not want to see teachers armed in school.

They say let teachers teach.

Their concern was raised after the White House announced federal aid that will fund training teachers to carry weapons.

“We have our own Dallas ISD police force. We have our own Dallas ISD security force that are in our schools today protecting us. They are there,” said Delna Bryan, President of the National Education Association in Dallas.

Their concern was raised after the White House announced federal aid to train armed teachers.

Texas already has a school marshal program in place, passed by the Texas legislature in 2013.

School employees have to go through 80 hours of training to become a marshal. But employees like teachers, who work in close proximity with students, must keep their guns in a locked safe.

In Harrold, Texas, it has gone a step further. Back in 2007, the superintendent began anonymously arming teachers. The closest first responders are about 30 minutes away in this small district.

So the superintendent of the very small district decided to take security into his own hands, allowing anyone on the staff to carry a gun.

“If they know that you have this in place they’re not coming to your school. We've had it in place for almost 11 years. They’re not coming to our place. They’re going somewhere else,” said Harrold Superintendent David Thweat.

According to the Texas Association of school boards, 172 districts statewide have adopted policy to allow school marshals.

That includes Argyle, in Denton County.

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