Posts by David P. Perrodin
Should Teachers Be Armed? | High School Trap Teams | Guest Competitive Shooter Bending Ballistics | SDP192
In May 2022, Wisconsin legislators Robin Vos and Kevin Nicholson conveyed that they were open to the idea of arming teachers. Wisconsin isn’t a state that embraces the practice of school staff carrying firearms, but that makes it an exception to the norm. Per usconcealedcarry.com, 32 states allow teachers and staff to “effectively protect children…
Read MoreWhat It Was Like to Present Live School Safety Specials on PBS TV | Never Do This One Thing | SDP191
Presenting on PBS TV entails luck, months of preparation, and confidence. Entrusted as a topic ambassador sets forth high expectations – not to mention standing before a live audience. I delivered two school safety presentations on PBS TV: School Safety in America: Rhetoric vs Reality (2019) and School Security and Crisis Preparedness (2013). In this…
Read MoreFitness in Chaotic Times | What Really Motivates Us | Fitness Professional Megan Usui | SDP190
What motivates people to seek and maintain fitness and wellness? How do expectations for fitness and wellness differ for younger people and older people? Do chaotic events, such as a pandemic or health scare, catapult people toward action to increase fitness and wellness? What feedback or rewards help people to stay motivated and act in…
Read MoreSchool ‘Swatting’ Skyrocketing in America | What Is It? | What Can Be Done to Stop It? | SDP189
The start of the 2022-2023 school year has been marred by a flurry of swatting-type threats targeting schools across the nation. A swatting threat is when someone, perhaps a thousand miles away, contacts law enforcement and makes a false report that an active shooter is on a school campus. In Minnesota, police responded to swatting…
Read MorePeggy The Comfort Pig | Animals in Schools | BOE Policy and ADA Considerations | SDP188
Many people with disabilities use a service animal in order to fully participate in everyday life. Dogs can be trained to perform many important tasks to assist people with disabilities, such as providing stability for a person who has difficulty walking, picking up items for a person who uses a wheelchair, preventing a child with…
Read MoreI Failed My PhD Dissertation Defense | Priest Prepared Last Rites | SDP187
On May 2, 2016, I confidently marched into the Education Building at UW-Madison expecting, in a few short hours, I would be high-stepping Bascom Hill as “Dr. Perrodin.” That day didn’t go as planned. In fact, my priest was in attendance (per my invitation), and he even brought lunch and snacks for the dissertation committee…
Read MoreDecision Making Up in the Air | Pilot Graham Wilson | The DECIDE model | SDP186
Graham Wilson is a freelance flight instructor in Windsor, Canada. He produces aviation-themed content for his ‘Superpilotish’ YouTube channel and website superpilotish.com. Graham has worked as a Chief Flight Instructor, Chief Pilot, Operations Manager and was formerly an accredited Transport Canada Pilot Examiner. He has worked various jobs in manufacturing, the service sector and was…
Read MoreMichigan Bill Would Ban Cellphones in Schools | 7 Reasons For And 7 Against Cellphones | SDP185
James David Dickson, managing editor of Michigan Capitol Confidential, wrote an article about Michigan House Bill 6171, introduced in June (2022) by Representative Gary Eisen. The proposed bill reads: “Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, the board of a school district or intermediate school district or board of directors of a public school academy shall…
Read MoreLost Person Behavior Facts | 4 Ways to Make it Easier to Be Found | SDP184
Between 2004 and 2014, in the US National Parks alone, there were 46,609 individuals who became lost and required a search and rescue campaign, which cost about $51.4 million in total (Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2018 NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person Statistics. Tech. Rep., National Crime Information Center). What are characteristics of lost persons…
Read More$50K Bonus for Teachers | Unpacking Educator Free Agency | SDP183
Des Moines Public Schools is offering a $50,000 incentive to teachers, nurses, and administrators who are nearing retirement to stay with the district through the 2022-2023 school year. A few states over, Michigan’s Jackson Public Schools is offering a $10,000 signing bonus for new teachers willing to stay at least two years. Unheard of five…
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