In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay sits down with Lori Alhadeff — mother, advocate, and founder of Make Our Schools Safe — to reflect on the life and legacy of her daughter Alyssa, who was killed in the 2018 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Throughout May, members of the Safe and Sound Schools team and community traveled across the country — both in-person and through computer screens — to continue those conversations across trainings, keynote presentations, and collaborative learning opportunities.

While the importance of a teams-based approach is widely recognized, training is often unintentionally limited to just a few individuals. This can make navigating crisis situations difficult as there is no clear coordination across roles or shared understanding of safety goals.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a reminder to slow down and consider whether we are doing everything possible to support the mental health of students in our communities.

In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay sits down with Sammie Wicks — nationally recognized practitioner and researcher in behavioral threat assessment and targeted violence prevention — to explore the gap between recognizing concerning behavior and actually preventing violence.

Across Bright Futures communities, that question is being answered every single day — not through big promises, but through small, consistent actions that make a real difference.

In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay sits down with Bruno Dias, PhD, CTM — nationally recognized expert in behavioral threat assessment and management — to explore how schools can move from reacting to crises to preventing them.

April brings with it a sense of renewal. Classrooms are busy, the school year is beginning to round its final corner, and many of us are looking ahead to what still needs to be done before summer arrives. It is also Autism Awareness Month, a time that invites reflection, both personally and professionally.

There are many misconceptions around safety planning for special needs populations that result in critical gaps and safety risks. At Safe and Sound Schools, we partner with safety teams to push thinking, provide practical resources, and create safety plans that help make school safety truly comprehensive. Here are five common misconceptions your team may not have considered when planning.

We are honored to welcome Katey McPherson as an exclusive member of the Safe and Sound Speakers Bureau! With more than 27 years of experience as a teacher, counselor, and school administrator, Katey has dedicated her career to supporting the social, emotional, and digital well-being of young people.

From volunteer-led programs to creative partnerships and student-driven initiatives, Bright Futures communities across the country are working every day to remove barriers and strengthen the environments where students learn and grow.

We all want our children to walk into school each morning and feel safe, wholly and completely safe. That means physically protected, emotionally supported, and welcomed into a community that sees them, knows them, and has their back. And yet, too often, our conversations about school safety stop at checklists and boxes: Do we have a plan? Are the drills done? Are the doors locked?

At the heart of school safety is the way we show up for students and create community. Connection builds trust, a true sense of belonging, and the conditions for early support. Small, everyday actions have the power to change the trajectory of many of our students’ lives.

In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay is joined by Jason Cornwell and Ben Thompson for a thoughtful conversation about options-based crisis response — an approach grounded in preparation, adaptability, and empowered decision-making.

Across the country, Bright Futures Communities continue to show what’s possible when schools and communities work together with intention and heart. Every day, local partners, volunteers, and supporters are stepping in to remove barriers, meet essential needs, and create environments where students can learn, grow, and thrive.

February has a way of inviting reflection. It’s a month that asks us to slow down just enough to be intentional about our work, our relationships, and the legacy we’re building together. And lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how deeply that idea of intention is woven into the work of keeping schools safe and sound.

In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay is joined by Antoinette King, a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of physical security, cybersecurity, and risk management, for a grounded and forward-looking conversation on what real school safety looks like today.

Today, our hearts are with the Tumbler Ridge community and all of British Columbia as they begin to process and grieve yesterday’s tragedy.

Our school safety efforts center on preventing and preparing for a wide range of threats and hazards, while balancing both physical and psychological safety. This work is grounded in a district’s emergency operations plan and spans the mission areas of prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.

With so many meaningful examples of compassion and leadership already unfolding, I’m honored to highlight just a few of the Bright Futures Communities making a remarkable impact as we begin the year.