DALLAS — Gov. Greg Abbott appointed a Dallas-area U.S. Secret Service agent to oversee Texas’ school safety efforts.
John Scott, who previously served as assistant special agent in charge of the North Texas district as well as on the North Texas Cyber Fraud Task Force and the Protective Intelligence and Physical Protection Unit, started the job Monday.
“Chief Scott’s wealth of experience in security and intelligence and exemplary service to our nation make(s) him the perfect fit as the new Chief of School Safety and Security,” Abbott said in a statement Monday.
In June, following this year’s massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Abbott directed the Texas Education Agency to create the position of chief of school safety and security.
Scott will serve as the agency’s resident expert on security and public safety issues and oversee Texas schools’ implementation of related policies.
The position was among initiatives undertaken in the wake of the Uvalde tragedy that left 19 children and two teachers dead. Other efforts include the agency’s new guidance that requires school districts to undergo intruder detection and safety audits.
“Both as commissioner of education, and as a dad, I recognize our schools must be safe for students to learn and grow,” education commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement. “TEA’s new chief of school safety and security, John Scott, brings incredible security expertise to the role. We are grateful for Governor Abbott’s leadership on this critical issue.”
Scott will work in collaboration with a variety of state agencies including the Texas School Safety Center, the Department of Public Safety, the Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, school districts and other entities, according to a news release.
Scott previously served as a special agent in the vice presidential protective division in Washington, D.C., and in the Secret Service’s Houston Field Office. Before joining the Secret Service, Scott was an U.S. Army Field Artillery Officer after earning his bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University.
Abbott, a Republican, has come under scrutiny by some for not calling a special session for lawmakers following the Uvalde shooting.
Since the shooting, the state has provided or facilitated resources including a recent $94 million allocation in federal school safety grants and tapping actor Chuck Norris to promote the state’s suspicious activity reporting system, IWatch Texas.
In a debate against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke last Friday, Abbott defended his administration’s response to Uvalde and addressed criticism, arguing the state “didn’t need a special session” to address the issue.
School safety will be a priority in the upcoming legislative session, Abbott said.
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(The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support 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, The Murrell Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, Todd A. Williams Family Foundation and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.)
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