The Changing Face of School Security: An Allegion Podcast

The role of School Resource Officers (SRO) has evolved over the last three decades. The stigma of the “kiddie cop” is long gone—today, SROs are expected to be the best of the best: carefully selected, specially trained professionals who wear multiple hats, including informal counselor, public safety educator and law enforcement officer. 
Although this role has gained more credit over the years, a significant gap still exists between SROs and educators. The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), led by special podcast guest Mo Canady, seeks to narrow that gap through collaboration, cross training and standardized language. 
We’re joined by a panel of SROs—Beth Sanborn, Manny Fardella and D.J. Schoeff—as they speak about their experiences, struggles and learnings during their time in this important role.

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 moving from reactive measures to preventative ones. Texas mandates behavioral threat assessment teams on every campus, and the center has trained over 64,000 school personnel using models based on the National Threat Assessment Center and Secret Service guidelines. 
More episode highlights include a “parent toolkit” which helps parents navigate legislation and reporting, the evolution of security technology as a complementary tool and more! 
 

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 the value of robust integrations like critical incident mapping. Lori highlights MOSS Clubs, a student-led program that builds peer mentorship and a culture of safety. The episode explores funding challenges, the drive for federal standards, and the central idea that faster response time equals more lives saved.

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, wired, laminated, and acrylic. Tempered and laminated glass are more commonly used in schools today. 
More discussions include building codes and standards outlining the appropriate glass products for school safety and security, technology-based evolutions to commonly used solutions, and the importance of collaboration between the glass industry, architects, administrators, and first responders to make informed decisions about school security measures. 

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 Molly Hudgens of Safe and Sound Schools to discuss their relentless efforts to build strong communities and teams to address school safety, not just this week but throughout the entire school year. 
More episode highlights include the importance of awareness, engagement and collaboration in school safety efforts, building strong, multidisciplinary teams that include students and the broader community, and more resources on training and support from Safe and Sound Schools. 
 

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 Hudgens of Safe and Sound Schools to discuss their relentless efforts to build strong communities and teams to address school safety, not just this week but throughout the entire school year. 
More episode highlights include the importance of awareness, engagement and collaboration in school safety efforts, building strong, multidisciplinary teams that include students and the broader community, and more resources on training and support from Safe and Sound Schools. 
 

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 recovery efforts. 
This episode also covers the district’s safety upgrades including physical security fortifications, behavioral threat assessments, and the integration of AI tools with ethical safeguards. Mike emphasizes the importance of locked doors, honest conversations with staff, and empowering student voice in school safety decisions. 

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 around early intervention, she became the director of behavioral health for the Round Rock school district, where she developed a non-responder model with social workers, and implemented new threat assessment protocols. 
 
More highlights include addressing mental health and suicide prevention in addition to physical security measures, resources like the 988-suicide prevention hotline and support for school staff. 

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 appropriate action. The goal: to prevent school violence through early intervention.
 
More episode highlights include zero tolerance vs. behavioral threat assessment and the importance of individualized approaches to student behavior, navigating FERPA and privacy misconceptions, including what educators can legally share, and digital threat assessments and how publicly available online behavior can inform school safety decisions. 

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 enhance lockdown procedures. By integrating systems, such as PA announcements and automated door locks, their schools help ensure a coordinated and immediate response to lockdown triggers.
 
More episode highlights include the lessons learned from lockdown drills and false alarms, AI integration in school security, growing recognition of creating strong, ongoing relationships with law enforcement, and more.