CHL INSTRUCTORS UNITE

[tomharkness]

Instructors Unite and Make a Difference. I have a suggestion for making a new test for TxDPS. I tried this several years ago with an Army training program (BNCOC). What I did is assign every student in the class the task of writing one (or two) test questions and then make up 3 false answers and 1 true answer. After they had finished, I asked them to all submit them to one student and ask them to rewrite all of them on one page, copy that page for every student, and then give me a copy of the correct answers to the questions. Out of more than 100 questions presented, about 1/3 were really poorly written. 2/3rds were well written, and 1/2 of those were almost word for word on the actual final exam. I was actually accused of compromising the final exam.

Here is what I propose for the CHL Instructors. Have every Instructor write one exam question over every part of the CHL program. Then write 3 false answers, 1 true answer, and then submit that question with the correct answer marked. If every instructor did this, we would have a pool of several hundred (or thousand) question to choose from. Then the Instructor's Association could weed out the poorly written, badly written, or improperly written... as well as the repeats. Then, we could submit these (I am guessing about 500+) questions to DPS for approval. A formal petition to use them to make multiple exams could be made on behalf of all the instructors and then have them posted on the TxDPS Website.

[Greybeard]

First, I see your post numero uno. Welcome to the forum.

Yes, if I believed they would seriously consider using our input to eliminate some of the goofball questions on the current exam, I'd play.

[gpeloq]

Welcome to the forum. I think the CHL people in Austin would love to have an outside source for questions. It would lighten their load. If you decide to work on the project I would be glad to generate some questions.

[tomharkness]

I think it would be a great project to start. The most important thing is for all "WE Instructors" to unite. I have met and talked with several of the individuals up at the CHL HQ there in Austin as I was an Austin Firefighter up until I retired in October 2009. They are overwhelmed... but catching up quickly. They would be happy to see a coalition of Instructors coming together to improve the program. The problem is that it needs to be a "coalition", not an instructor or two. I was hoping that the CHL Instructors Association would have something to do with this, but it is like pulling teeth just to get hold of someone from that group. Even the website says that there is no full time staff and they will, "Get back to you when they can". I think the average response for any of my questions is about 7 to 14 working days.

Here is what is going on up at the CHL HQ: There are about 3 paid civilian employees. Down the hall is the Texas Private Security Bureau. The TPSB has about 15 paid staff to supervise more than a million Texans working as Security Officers (Both legal and illegal). The CHL department took some of the TPSB staff to play catch-up with the CHL's last year and that was the straw that broke the camels back for TPSB. But it did get the CHL department up-to-date.

Now, both of these departments take DPS Troopers off the street to come in and help out on both issues. But many of them are overworked and they are ALL underpaid. Many of them don’t even show up for this task as they are called to court, backfill, or 1000 other responsibilities. I can assure you that if a pool of questions, training tips, and other CHL training ideas were presented by a “Coalition of Instructors”, the officer put in charge of reviewing it would be happier than….

Well, my email address is firearms at scfh.net and.. being retired, I would love to take on a task like this. Just send me a note and we can start getting things together. Tom

[TraCoun]

I'm not a CHL Instructor, but get information about the DPS and their CHL outlook from another source. They have some relatively new people in place who seem to be supportive and helpful. I think they would at least take an honest look at whatever you all might put together. I think it's a good idea.
Thanx,
TraCoun

[tomharkness]

All of DPS personel at the CHL are supportive and helpful. They just have too much on their plates. Unfortunately, a lot of the shortcomings of the CHL program my well be higher authorities that are forcing DPS to have a "Lack-Luster" enthusiasm for the program. We all know how that is: we want to help, but the "powers to be" have our hands tied.

My original focus on this post was to encourage instructors to "take the lead" and get the job done. This is a real opportunity for the instructors of the program to come together and really make this program something more than what it is.