Speaking at a large conservative political gathering near the nation’s capital last week, Donald Trump reiterated that he would like to see more public-school teachers carrying concealed guns.And as POLITICO reports, the State of Texas may be a model for Trump’s vision of a nation full of gun-toting educators.
In fact, Trump’s plan for an army of armed teachers already exists in Texas. Lawmakers in the Lone Star State have enacted a program wherein public schools are allowed to designate what are known as “school marshals.”
These are teachers, principals, coaches, custodians and other employees who have been trained in the use of firearms and are ready to defend a school. The program was signed into law five years ago, in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre.
Texas schools can designate one marshal for every 400 students. But even the proponents of the program admit the program may work best in schools small enough for law enforcement to know everyone in the school.
