Michele Gay is joined by Shauntelle Cota and Rhett Larsen of the Utah State Board of Education’s School Safety Center to explore how Utah is redefining what school safety means — from compliance to culture, from procedures to shared purpose.

Michele Gay sits down with Amanda Bigbee, school law expert and Division Director of Policy Service for the Texas Association of School Boards, to explore practical strategies for creating safe schools.

Michele Gay sits down with Dr. Stephanie Grant — child development expert, trauma-informed educator, and Safe and Sound Schools Speaker — for a deep, compassionate look at what’s really happening beneath the surface of student behavior.

Michele Gay speaks with Jermaine “Tall Cop” Galloway about what’s really happening in schools, the blind spots adults often miss, and how communities can adopt prevention strategies that work.  

Michele Gay speaks with Jermaine “Tall Cop” Galloway about what’s really happening in schools, the blind spots adults often miss, and how communities can adopt prevention strategies that work.  

Michele Gay speaks with Barb Grimm, Founder of School Responder and longtime champion of Safe and Sound Schools, about the role of connection in prevention and response.

The redesign of the Averted School Violence (ASV) website and enhanced database marks a major milestone in our ongoing effort to strengthen school safety through prevention. Like any website transformation, this project brought together big-picture goals and a deep sense of purpose.

Welcome, Dr. Savahanna Wagner & Officer Meg Soultz!

Michele Gay and Dr. Kathy Martinez-Prather, Director of the Texas School Safety Center, explore how school safety has evolved into a proactive, holistic effort.

I am proud to announce that Safe and Sound Schools, in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), has launched BTAM & ASD: An e-Guide for Assessing Students on the Autism Spectrum, a new resource equipping educators and practitioners to administer behavioral threat assessment management (BTAM) for special needs students with confidence and fidelity.  

In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay connects with Dr. Scott Poland, one of Safe and Sound Schools’ earliest champions, to explore the complex landscape of youth mental health in the age of social media.

It’s the very principle behind a phrase many educators know well, “Maslow Before Bloom.” It’s also the foundation on which we built Bright Futures — to help meet students’ basic needs quickly and to give every child a chance at success.

In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay sits down with crisis communication experts Jerry Gallagher and Dr. Lori Mueller to unpack what it takes to lead in the moments that matter most.

As we continue to monitor this developing situation, our hearts are with the Annunciation Catholic School community – students, staff, parents, first responders, and everyone impacted by today’s tragedy.

In this episode of The Sound Off, Michele Gay talks with Cindy Freedman, co-founder of Swim Angelfish and pediatric therapist, about water safety for neurodivergent children.

As another school year begins, I want to take a moment to welcome you back on behalf of our entire Safe and Sound Schools team.

Especially Safe, a signature program developed by Safe and Sound Schools, empowers school safety teams to teach and train in ways that ensure everybody is prepared and protected in an emergency.

In this episode of The Sound Off, Michele Gay and Mike Matranga, former U.S. Secret Service agent and nationally recognized school safety leader, discuss how culture, relationships, readiness, and real-world experience shape safer school communities.

Safe and Sound Schools Welcomes Associate Director of Projects & Training

At the 2025 NASRO National School Safety Conference, NASRO Executive Director Mo Canady joined Michele Gay, Founder and Executive Director of Safe and Sound Schools, to present an insightful session, “Preventing the Next Tragedy: Lessons Learned from Near Misses.” In this recap, we’ll explore key takeaways from their presentation, including a preview of enhancements to the ASV database and website, as well as a real-life case study that highlights the critical lessons drawn