DISD gets SWAT-like police power

It’s been a long time since my children attended school in Dallas Independent School District. In fact, today neither of my girls attends a TX ISD school; Ash is married and raising a son, and Little Bit, at 16, is in college full-time.

I’ll admit right now that I have rather unorthodox views on compulsory government-run education. When I start talking about parent choice and getting government out of education, somebody always pipes in with comments describing the need for government schools. I’ve heard everything from, “We need public education because some parents aren’t responsible enough to make sure their children are educated.” to “We must have standards in education.” But, what are our children learning in our public schools? Hint: It’s not the three R’s.

Many school districts have armed on-campus police officers, metal detectors, surveillance cameras, and mandatory drug testing. While many American students are falling behind the rest of the world in nearly every subject area, our school districts are sparing no expense to give them a first-rate lesson on living in a police state. DISD just upped the ante by forming their very own “SWAT team” complete with semiautomatic weapons.

Five years ago the Dallas Independent School District began arming its police officers with handguns. Select officers now have access to much more firepower – five assault-style rifles purchased for a new SWAT-like response team.

DISD Police Chief John Blackburn formed the 16-member Special Response Team last summer to handle incidents such as a school shooting spree, a riot or a dangerous chemical spill. It is the first such unit created by a North Texas school system and at least the fifth in the state.

The team’s officers are training alongside Dallas police and through Homeland Security programs, Chief Blackburn said.

Is this what educational priorities have slipped to? With all of the SWAT mishaps in this country, do we really want SWAT trained officers in our school districts?

Traditionally it’s been the religious parents who have home schooled. They were fed up with school districts usurping their authority on matters of morality. Those parents were on to something and even those of us that do not subscribe to religious thought should start paying attention. While religious and secular groups have been busy disagreeing with each other on the existence of God, the age of the Grand Canyon, and ID, schools have become little Orwellian worlds where individual autonomy is sacrificed in the name of whatever crisis happens to be on the news this week. To add insult to injury, more than 25% of college freshmen require remedial coursework before they can take college level courses.

It is long past time for secular parents to take a position that puts them back in charge of their children’s education. I think that it’s time to follow the lead of those Christian home schooling parents. It’s imperative if we want to continue the path of separation of church and state. At the current rate, even if our children aren’t shot and killed at school, they might not be as educated as the children who might bring in a single religion government where No Child Left Behind becomes only Left Behind.

~ by Miche on September 17, 2007.