School Security

Security concerns increasingly dominate public education. But discussions of school safety are often based on misinformation and unfounded assumptions rather than documented evidence. Let’s change that!

I’ve spent several years now focused on learning as much as I can about the issue of school security. I have shared what I’ve learned with others at public forums, conferences, and school board meetings around the state in a presentation entitled “School Security in the Age of Fear.” I would value the opportunity to share it with your PTO, booster club, book club, neighborhood association, school board, or other organization that might benefit from a discussion of these issues. Just contact me. I’ve also written a series of blog posts on the issue, including:

You can access the complete list of blog posts I’ve written on school safety here.

Presentation Topics

I cover a number of different issues in my “School Security in an Age of Fear” talk, including what research shows about:

  • Why is fear a problem?
  • Are our fears justified?
  • Do our current solutions to school security work?
  • What are some better, more effective solutions?

Presentation Testimonials

I gave a similar presentation to school board members and school administrators from around the state at the annual PSBA conference last fall. Audience members rated the talk a 4.7 on a scale of 1-5 in an anonymous followup survey. Here’s some of the typical feedback:

  • “Very interesting and thought provoking.”
  • “Munson’s material should be provided to every school district.”
  • “Best session of the conference.”
  • “Learned many new ideas. Made me think differently in many areas.”

To Learn More

Here are some starting points for learning more about the issues I cover in the presentation.

Journalism & Mass Media

Research Articles & Books

Presentation Slides

The slides I use in the presentation, with citations and links to additional materials in the notes, are available here.

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