The Changing Face of School Security: An Allegion Podcast

In this episode of The Changing Face of School Security, host Paul Timm interviews Dr. Kathy Martinez-Prather, the director of the Texas School Safety Center. 

Established in 1999 following the Columbine tragedy, the Texas School Safety Center serves as the central hub for school safety in the state, providing free training, research and technical assistance to districts. A major focus of the center is movi...

Paul Timm speaks with Lori Alhadeff, founder of Make Our Schools Safe and school board member, about Alyssa’s Law and practical approaches to improving school safety. Lori shares her personal story and the mission that led to nationwide advocacy for panic button systems. Topics include the evolution from hardwired panic buttons to app and wearable solutions, the importance of direct connections to local law enforcement, and t...

While a properly locked door may be at the forefront of the conversations surrounding school safety solutions, glass plays a significant role in the foundations of security. 

Though it may seem intuitive, not all applications demand the same type of glass. In this episode, Devin Bowman of Technical Glass Products (TGP) and AD Systems covers different types of glass used in schools, including annealed, tempered, ...

This is Part 2 of a 2 part episode featuring experts from Safe and Sound Schools. 

National Safe Schools Week brings us the opportunity to reflect on, refocus and rethink the importance of school safety, addressing physical, mental and emotional well-being, and empowering both teachers and students with safety skills beyond just school protocols. 

In this episode, Paul Timm is joined by Michele Gay, Missy Dodds and M...

This is Part 1 of a 2 part episode featuring experts from Safe and Sound Schools. 

National Safe Schools Week brings us the opportunity to reflect on, refocus and rethink the importance of school safety, addressing physical, mental and emotional well-being, and empowering both teachers and students with safety skills beyond just school protocols. 

In this episode, Paul Timm is joined by Michele Gay, Missy Dodds and Molly ...

Dr. Michael Lubelfeld, superintendent of North Shore School District 112, shares leadership insights from the 2022 Highland Park mass shooting and its impact on school safety. Mike discusses how his district’s response was shaped by years of relationship-building with local government, law enforcement, and mental health partners. He explains how trauma-informed care, communication, and community collaboration were central to ...

For Dr. Amy Grosso, Ph.D., behavioral health as a profession wasn’t really on her radar until she faced the unexpected loss of a family member, which drove her to the question: “How do I help others not experience this too?” 

When Grosso was the grant coordinator for Round Rock schools, she realized how underrepresented the importance of student mental health was in school safety funding. Through discussions ...

Dr. Dewey Cornell is a professor of education and forensic clinical psychologist. His work evaluating criminal defendants sparked a deep interest in preventing violent crime.

In this episode, Dr. Cornell breaks down behavioral threat assessment and its growing impact on school safety. Inspired by FBI and Secret Service practices, this assessment helps schools assess reports of threatening behavior, online and in-person, and take a...

Bill Bryson, technology director at Rock Ridge Schools, and John Connolly, chief technology and operations officer at Consolidated High School District 230, bring their combined expertise to share the impact of technology on school security.

While they may work in different school districts, Bill and John share a common approach to safety. In this episode, they discuss the technology initiatives their schools have implemented to e...

Lieutenant Kelly Martin has been with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office for 18 years. In that time, Lieutenant Martin joined the board of officers for the Florida Association of School Safety Specialists, also known as FS3. 

Seminole County is unique in that the sheriff's office directly manages school safety for the district. Their comprehensive school resource officer program requires at least one SRO on every schoo...

Jason Stoddard and Paul Timm came to us live from the floor of the Maryland Association of School Business Officials Conference in Ocean City—our first episode recorded from a trade show floor! 

In this episode, Jason and Paul discuss the importance of establishing national standards, certification and advocacy for school safety directors. Jason also emphasizes the need to master fundamental safety practices, develop pos...

We are so excited to bring you our next episode featuring guest Jermaine Galloway, known nationally as the Tall Cop! 

Through his nearly 20-year career as a police officer, Jermaine began providing training for substance abuse prevention, education and enforcement strategies. To date, the Tall Cop has trained more than 825,000 professional and community members. 

Join us as Jermaine and Paul discuss his tactics for identi...

In this episode, our host Paul Timm catches up with Kevin Wren, a School Safety Advocate with The Cook & Boardman Group.

Kevin's extensive background in school security began at age 15 as a student advocate in Georgia and evolved through roles as a school resource officer, firefighter and EMT, eventually leading school security and emergency management departments in South Carolina. He later went on to win the Campus Safety Dir...

This week, we’re being schooled by students—and it turns out, we have a lot to learn! 

Emma Mann, student ambassador for Safe and Sound Schools and Vanderbilt University student, shared a unique perspective on school safety and security in the eyes of a student. In fact, there’s a lot that administrators and staff DON’T know when it comes to social media, what students talk about or struggle with, or ho...

If you told Missy Dodds years ago that she would be working as a school safety advocate, she probably wouldn’t believe you. However, life always has its twists and turns. 

Missy got her start in teaching at Red Lake High School. On March 21, 2005, her life took the biggest turn: gunfire erupted in the school. Missy had locked her classroom door moments before, but the gunman entered by shooting the tempered glass view pa...

Cybersecurity and online safety are more important than ever in today’s digital age. Today’s youth probably doesn’t remember a time when the world wasn’t digitally connected. The onset of the Internet as an everyday tool has opened a world of opportunities, both positive and potentially harmful. 

With schools incorporating more digital tools into their daily routines, students and educators alike have a...

Technology as an everyday tool has created more complex and diverse cybersecurity threats in our nation than ever before. Since it's become an integral part of learning in schools, it’s important for educators to learn and teach the importance of cybersecurity and help mitigate the threats we face. 

The government saw a need for accessible materials covering school safety, and SchoolSafety.gov was born. There, school lea...

“I love u guys.” 

These were the last four words Ellen and John-Michael Keyes received from their daughter, Emily Keyes, in a text message on the day she was held hostage and then killed in the Platte Canyon High School shooting. 

For victims’ families and friends, this is a real-life nightmare. And for the Keyes, this nightmare was their catalyst in creating a nationwide organization led by those affect...