After 14 years of serving as Whitman principal, Alan Goodwin took a part-time job this year at the MCPS Department of Safety and Security to improve school security for all county schools.

“While I enjoy retirement, this is just a part-time job so I can enjoy retirement while still staying involved in MCPS,” Goodwin said.

He’s currently assisting with the rollout of new active assailant training drills, which teach students proper procedures to maximize safety during school shootings. MCPS enacted this new safety measure in response to the 23 school shootings that occured in 2018—including the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida—according to Bethesda Magazine.

Goodwin coordinates with police, security officers and administrators to prepare school staff and students for the drill.

“Dr. Goodwin has a lot of experience as an administrator with these types of issues,” math teacher Stephen Hays said. “He cares a lot about the safety and well-being of students, so who’s better to be in that position.”

Students are also confident that Goodwin will succeed in his new position.

“Dr. Goodwin prioritizes kids’ safety,” senior Byron Ma said. “His fair judgement of situations makes him a good fit for his position.”

Goodwin plans to work in central office for at least a semester. He said he enjoys working on school security, though it’s quite different from working at Whitman.

“The biggest change is not seeing students during the day,” Goodwin said. “I miss them.”