School of Errors

Rethinking School Safety in America

David P. Perrodin - Foreword by Danny Woodburn

School of Errors establishes another voice in the discussion of how to promote safe schools. It challenges the unchecked expansion of school fortification and questions the realized benefit of inter-agency collaboration during a sentinel event. This book offers an alternative to traumatizing simulations by providing clear options for improving school safety by the empirically-proven effective measures of leakage detection (preventive) and sensemaking (reactive). School of Errors restores the scientific method to school safety and clears a path through the media rhetoric fogging this vital topic.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 204 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-4758-3744-5 • Hardback • August 2019 • $36.00 • (£28.00)

978-1-4758-3745-2 • Paperback • June 2022 • $22.00 • (£16.99)

978-1-4758-3746-9 • eBook • August 2019 • $20.50 • (£14.99)

Subjects: Education / Educational Policy & Reform / School Safety, Education / Administration / General, Education / Counseling / Crisis Management, Education / Special Education / General, Education / Administration / School Superintendents & Principals, Education / Violence & Harassment

School of Errors

Rethinking School Safety in America

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

School of Errors establishes another voice in the discussion of how to promote safe schools. It challenges the unchecked expansion of school fortification and questions the realized benefit of inter-agency collaboration during a sentinel event. This book offers an alternative to traumatizing simulations by providing clear options for improving school safety by the empirically-proven effective measures of leakage detection (preventive) and sensemaking (reactive). School of Errors restores the scientific method to school safety and clears a path through the media rhetoric fogging this vital topic.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 204 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-4758-3744-5 • Hardback • August 2019 • $36.00 • (£28.00)

978-1-4758-3745-2 • Paperback • June 2022 • $22.00 • (£16.99)

978-1-4758-3746-9 • eBook • August 2019 • $20.50 • (£14.99)

Subjects: Education / Educational Policy & Reform / School Safety, Education / Administration / General, Education / Counseling / Crisis Management, Education / Special Education / General, Education / Administration / School Superintendents & Principals, Education / Violence & Harassment

Author

David Perrodin, PhD, promotes a safety initiative of taking action before a disaster strikes. He is an author, educator, researcher, professor, expert witness, consultant, host of The Safety Doc Podcast, and bicyclist. David received his Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at University of Wisconsin-Madison where he researched high stakes safety decisions in education, health care and military. He has presented on PBS and wrote and directed a film about school safety with Pulitzer Prize winner David Obst. Dr. Perrodin has a passion for helping schools and companies design and implement safety instruction and threat reporting tools that are accessible to students with special needs. Visit his website at: http://safetyphd.com/.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Danny Woodburn

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part One: The Torus

Chapter One: How Thinking About a Bagel Can Get You Through the Worst Day of Your Life

Chapter Two: Exploration Is a Kind of Safety Drill

Chapter Three: Situational Awareness via Sensemaking, Your Sword and Shield

Chapter Four: Legacy Knowledge

Part Two: The Foolishness of Benchmarking

Chapter Five: Disasters Are the Real Snowflakes

Chapter Six: Another New Latin Word: Psychological Transference

Chapter Seven: So, What’s Wrong with Benchmarking? Critical Decision-Making in a Nonlinear World

Chapter Eight: Why Comparing Disasters Feels Too Good to Be True

Chapter Nine: One Variable, One Very Big Difference: the Internet

Chapter Ten: A Final Word on Schools and Benchmarking

Part Three: Drill Fidelity

Chapter Eleven: Fancy Drills Are Worse Than Useless

Chapter Twelve: The Right Way to Conduct a Drill: Critical Decision Making in a Nonlinear World

Chapter Thirteen: Other Options: Tabletop Exercises and Focus Groups

Chapter Fourteen: What is a Tabletop Exercise?

Chapter Fifteen: Video Boondoggle

Chapter Sixteen: One More Don't: Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL)

Part Four: Systems Will Develop, So Let Them

Chapter Seventeen: The Zen of Safety

Chapter Eighteen: Incident Command Structure

Chapter Nineteen: Tornadoes, Hurricanes, and the Fabulous Cajun Navy Relief

Chapter Twenty: Seeing Faces on the Moon: How Pareidolia Helped the Rescue System on 9/11 Develop

Chapter Twenty-One: Transitioning into Chaos – How Increasing the “Noise” Increases Options… Up to a Point

Chapter Twenty-Two: Hobbes’s Leviathan Meets the Twin Towers

Part Five: How We Know What We Know. So Why Do These Systems Develop?

Chapter Twenty-Three: Simulated Annealing, or SA: How the Human Brain is Specialized for Improvisation

Chapter Twenty-Four: Leadership Theories AH (After Hobbes)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Legacy Knowledge, Distributed Leadership, and Rookie Teachers vs. Admiral Loy

Chapter Twenty-Six: Summary of What We Know

Part Six: The Future

Chapter Twenty-Seven: How Will Decisions Made in the Moment Be Studied? And How Will Future Decisions Be Directed?

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Bollards and Planters: The Terrible Ideas That Are Coming to a School Near You

Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep

Chapter Thirty: Final Implications for School Leaders

Epilogue: Nothing Means Anything To Anyone Until It Means Everything To You

References

Index

Meet the Author

Reviews

School safety is a primary concern for any parent, teacher, or school administrator today. Perrodin (Viterbo Univ.) has extensive experience with and background in safety training, and he provides a realistic view of the topic, including practical ideas and solutions for school systems to implement. He cautions of "safety experts" who are more interested in making a profit than protecting schools, noting that administrators should be wary of proposed solutions that only advocate for more safety cameras, metal detectors, or other flashy technology. Instead the author asks for schools to consider "the torus," a way of visualizing familiar places, events, and daily routines and their interruptions as a possible solution, along with situational awareness. Perrodin cleverly uses a bagel to illustrate this point. He believes that schools must be ready to let go of the familiar and improvise, emphasizing a student-centered approach, particularly in the section on drill fidelity, stating that drills should be conducted less frequently but with more urgency to teach students skills to use in a particular situation rather than just to show them what could happen. This accessible book will appeal to multiple audiences and would be a valuable addition to any library. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels.

— Choice Reviews

Dr. David Perrodin’s School of Errors allows readers inside the mind of an expert educator, a national resource in school safety research, and a compelling story teller. Perrodin lays out a guide for considering safety that prioritizes data-driven research over rhetoric, student learning over unnecessary fear, and wisdom over bumper sticker solutions. At least one person on every school board should have read this book before weighing another district safety decision. This is essential reading for school leaders, but worth the time for anyone interested in the larger national dialogue around safety. His gift as a writer is to connect the particulars of school safety to the larger realities of human existence, history, and patterns that only a gifted expert can show us.
— Seann Dikkers, author, “TeacherCraft, Mobile Media Learning, and Real-Time Research”

In every field there is that one man who is led by facts and truth rather than fads or group thinking. When it comes to school safety, David Perrodin is that man, and his book School of Errors reveals why.
— TJ Martinell, Lens award-winning reporter and writer at the Tenth Amendment Center

A brave demonstration of speaking truth to power “School of Errors” rips the lid off the billion-dollar school safety industry. Using real-world examples of successful responses in desperate situations, David contrasts the expensive window dressings pitched to panicked parents, with the inexpensive and effective approaches proven to actually work. Read this book before you let your school waste another precious dollar on meaningless safety ‘theater.’
— James B. Sibley, Esq., Special Education Attorney, Tollner Law Offices

Over the last 20 years, in the wake of unthinkable school shootings, school safety has propelled itself to priority number one for school leaders. A priority that has not had the thoughtful support of understanding what we need to do to address the simple question, “What if?” A question with an endless number of scenarios which we honestly struggle to reasonably counter. We spend countless amounts of resources of time and money to fortify our schools and train our staff. Yet intuitively we sense we are somehow possibly missing the boat. David allows us a moment to step back and thoughtfully reconsider the landscape before us.
— Mati Palm-Leis, superintendent, School District of Mellen Wisconsin

Dr. David Perrodin gives the reader a contrarian view on the current school security establishment. The emphasis is placed more on the individual for timely action than it does bollard fencing. Perrodin’s School of Errors puts you in the front row of active shooter crime scenes. What is needed and how to survive them.
— Thomas Marchetti, retired Los Angeles Police Detective

If you have any interest in saving kids’ lives, you need this book. It’s not a regurgitation of the “hide-run-fight” mantra, but a deeper study of what humans do in chaotic, unpredictable emergencies, and how to apply those lessons. We say that, 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.' In real life that means it is cheaper, easier, and more effective to spot troubled students than to spend millions on "security bling” that we already know doesn’t work. Better to cultivate a principles-based flexible attitude than memorize a dozen rigid, impossibly specific responses that only work in the unlikely event that your chaos matches a previous chaos. David Perrodin gives you a way to think about the problem and an insight into how the humans you deal with are probably going to handle it anyway, so you can work with nature instead of trying to script the unpredictable.
— Rory Miller, author, “Meditations on Violence”

Rather than throwing hockey pucks at a school intruder read David Perrodin’s important book and learn what both common sense and law enforcement experts suggest you do to protect your students.
— David Obst, Pulitzer Prize winning educator; author, "Too Good to Be Forgotten: Changing America in the ’60s and ’70s"

Dr. Perrodin boldly reveals the internal mechanisms of the billion dollar school safety industry in his must-read book School of Errors. As a school district administrator in elementary education, the safety of my students and staff is a matter of the utmost importance. David untangles the issues all school leaders face from years of vague policy guidance, unchecked fortification and a complete absence of accessible design for safety instruction and threat reporting systems. Students have been pushed to the sidelines of safety. School of Errors is the overdue invitation to America's youth that they are crucially needed to inform the practices and systems that promote the safety of their school environment. This book will immediately change how you think about school safety!
— Missy Herek, Elementary Principal, Hillsboro School District, Hillsboro, Wisconsin

David Perrodin adeptly tackles and untangles a topic that is on everyone’s minds these days – keeping schools safe -- with blunt honesty and keen insight drawn from years of experience. The book debunks the many “quick fix” solutions that do nothing but drain taxpayer dollars in exchange for a facile illusion of safety. Dr. Perrodin’s goal is to instead urge all involved to look at the problem from a sober, realistic viewpoint and pursue safety strategies that emphasize flexibility, common sense and the ability to assess how things actually work in the real world. There is no other book like it available today, making it a must read for both parents and experts alike.
— Mike Valentino, editor, "Jersey Joe Walcott: A Boxing Biography"

Dr. Perrodin’s book guides us back to true prevention. Millions of dollars are being spent on fortifying our schools, when possibly the assailant might already be behind the walls. School Safety should be focused on mental health services, reporting tools, improving school climate, and threat assessment training.
— Salvador Arias, safe schools coordinator, Kern County, California

School safety has been an enigma to school officials and parents alike. Misguided solutions presented by the mainstream media have provoked us into implementing knee-jerk practices in response to school tragedies. Dr. David Perrodin’s book provides a steadfast approach, removing the rhetoric while providing clear focused guidance on understanding school safety and the tools needed to implement guided adaptive critical thinking during chaotic emergency situations. School Officials, as well as parents, would benefit greatly from reading this book.
— Hector Solis, creator and host, Awareness Podcast

In School of Errors, David Perrodin offers comprehensive, practical expertise around school safety. Following some bullying complaints and behavior incidents a few years ago, we hired David as a consultant during a review of District safety operational systems. Under his advisement, and vetted through research and his own field experiences, our district revamped its procedures. Based on student-centered needs, the evidence-based practices (emphasizing prevention, restoration, and accountability) were so relevant that our district continues to use them today. With adverse social and mental health issues on the rise in our country, school personnel will find David’s message to be just the right antidote. Read his book and start the work! Time is critical and our children deserve nothing less.
— Cynthia Russell Smith, director, Student Services, Marinette School District, Marinette, Wisconsin

School district administrators face an uphill battle when it comes to ensuring safe schools for their students, staff and families. School of Errors gives schools a road map for navigating the gauntlet of challenges around school safety. Dr. David Perrodin delivers research-tested, relevant strategies for creating and sustaining safe schools.
— Joe Bruzzese, CEO, Sprigeo

At a time when public awareness of school safety is at an all time high, Dr. David Perrodin’s School of Errors, provides practical, evidence-based wisdom. School administrators will be well-served to peruse these pages before giving into pressure to purchasing costly safety equipment or developing complex safety procedures.
— Michele Butler, principal, Arcadia Middle School, Arcadia, WI

As a parent of two children with special needs, I often have specific questions about school safety. What are my children being taught about safety? What do they actually understand about safety and reporting threats? How does the safety plan work when somebody is absent? Administrators assure parents that schools are safe. Yet we know from our own experiences that during a crisis, something will happen and scripted plans will be hurled out the window. Then what? Dr. Perrodin gives us the expert insight of someone who can answer that question. I highly recommend you read School of Errors and really let it all sink in.
— Tabatha Malliard, parent of two children with special needs, Pennsylvania

Features

7/18/19 - Author David P. Perrodin penned an article for the Phi Delta Kappan on the subject of his book, titled "Why no safety drills for students with disabilities?" The Kappan is a professional journal for educators. Link: https://www.kappanonline.org/safety-drills-students-with-disabilities-perrodin-backtalk/

8/7/19- Author David P Perrodin, PhD, examines how the shadow of superbugs - a host of tiny, unseen enemies - could be a far greater danger than security threats to schools than many people currently perceive. Link: http://www.crisis-response.com/comment/blogpost.php?post=472

8/8/19: Author David Perrodin profiled in Portage Daily Register (circ: 3k); “Portage author challenges school safety narrative in new book”

Link: https://www.wiscnews.com/portagedailyregister/news/local/education/portage-author-challenges-school-safety-narrative-in-new-book/article_a3093e85-a41b-55a0-a372-374c172626b3.html

8/12/2019: Learn how David Perrodin researched and wrote the book in this interview with Campus Security and Life Safety Magazine.

Link: https://campuslifesecurity.com/articles/2019/08/12/wisconsin-author-professor-releases-book-that-challenges-school-safety-initiatives.aspx

8/15/19: Watch David Perrodin interviewed about his holistic approach to school safety on Spectrum News 1.

Link: https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2019/08/15/wisconsin-author-talks-on-holistic-approach-to-school-safety?cid=share_clip

11/5/2019: Read David P Perrodin's new article for the Crisis Response Journal; "Investigating to an Absolute Conclusion."

Link: https://tinyurl.com/Perrodin-CRJ-Oct-2019

12/3/2019: Listen to David Perrodin's new interview with Wisconsin Public Radio; "What schools can do to prevent school shootings."

Link: https://www.wpr.org/what-schools-can-do-prevent-school-shootings

School of Errors

Rethinking School Safety in America

David P. Perrodin - Foreword by Danny Woodburn

School of Errors

Rethinking School Safety in America

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