In Dallas, Texas, five high school seniors from Moisés E. Molina High School are making headlines as they break new ground, becoming the district's first state-licensed security guards. The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) students earned their Level-II private security licenses through a specialized Law Enforcement Pathway class, reports The Dallas Express.
The program, led by former police officer Earl Felton, educates students on the essentials of law enforcement over nearly seven years; now, including preparation for a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) test. According to Felton, as quoted by NBC 5 DFW, the newly-certified guards can now "work at events, concerts, basketball games, football games," and jobs that seek their newly acquired skill set. Felton emphasizes, however, that there's a "huge difference," between being a security guard and a police officer, an important distinction he instills in his students.
One student, Jonathan Wright, has already landed a position with a private security company — and at a young age. Wright told NBC DFW that despite being the youngest security guard on his team, the rigorous class had left him just as knowledgeable as his peers. Fellow student Josue, with eyes on a future in law enforcement, is drawn by the allure of crime films and shows and aspires to climb the ranks to become a state trooper or U.S. Marshal, reports The Dallas Express. Another student named Reynaldo shared that the program has opened up the option to work with the Sheriff County Jail in the coming summer.
While these students grasp their licenses, armed only with the knowledge of law enforcement and not firearms, they step into roles that were customarily filled by more seasoned individuals. Wright, who ultimately seeks a career in nursing, appreciates the alternative path this licensing has provided him. Despite these individual successes, DISD's wider academic performance presents a mixed picture with only 41% of students scoring at grade level on the STAAR test, and 81.1% of seniors graduating on time, according to 2021-2022 figures released by the Texas Education Agency. Yet, the success of this program offers a tangible counter-narrative, where opportunity is not found in test scores, but earned through the dedication of DISD's pioneering students and educators.
