In the 1950sand 1960s, students practiced ducking under their desks in case of an atomic bomb attack. This practice actually provided no protection, and many school practices that are popular today are equally questionable. The book explores a wide range of what the authors label “duck and cover” policies—ideas that may have started for good reasons but whose usefulness has declined over time. Ginsberg and Zhao explore how and why these policies were adopted, along with the underlying factors that cause school leaders to maintain them. Recommendations are made for reconsidering, replacing, or just removing these strategies from practice.
Reviewed by Carol Campbell, PhD
Vice President for Education
Southwestern Union Conference
Author: Pete Nelson, with a preface by Hunter Scott (the 11-year-old who inspired the book and whose research informs the book)
