Gov. Abbott asks for new Texas school security chief after Uvalde massacre

Gov. Greg Abbott desires the Texas Education Agency to create a chief of school security to supervise security efforts within the wake of the Uvalde massacre.

This particular person needs to be a school security knowledgeable who could be a useful resource to each districts and the Legislature, Abbott stated, in addition to somebody who can implement security applications.

Whoever is chosen because the state’s Chief of School Safety and Security will report back to the schooling commissioner, with a direct line to the governor’s workplace, Abbott wrote in a Thursday letter to Commissioner Mike Morath

“The Chief must ensure that Texas schools are implementing the school safety policies passed by the legislature and take every action possible to ensure that schools are using best practices to safeguard against school shootings or other dangers,” Abbott wrote.

In the times since a gunman killed 19 youngsters and two academics at Robb Elementary, the governor has issued a number of requests, together with that state leaders work on “hardening” campuses and bettering security. Less focus has been on any push for gun management measures — although he did embrace “firearm safety” in an inventory of points for lawmakers to look at in particular committees.

Abbott has additionally requested that state officers drop onto campuses unannounced for random security checks, conduct weekly checks of exterior doorways to make sure they’re safe and perform extra active-shooter coaching.

The Texas Education Agency also needs to encourage directors to extend the presence of educated regulation enforcement officers and school marshals – district staff who can carry firearms in lecture rooms  – on campuses, Abbott has stated.

The DMN Education Lab deepens the protection and dialog about pressing schooling points important to the way forward for North Texas.

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with assist from The Beck Group, Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, The Meadows Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Todd A. Williams Family Foundation and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial management of the Education Lab’s journalism.