Safe and Sound Schools

06/05/2026

Students don't leave their challenges at the school door anymore.

Conflicts, grievances, social pressures, exploitation, and warning signs increasingly emerge through digital interactions long before adults become aware.

As schools work to keep up with the rapidly changing digital landscape, understanding the relationship between digital behavior and student well-being is becoming an essential part of prevention and support.

Join us as we partner with Navigate360Navigate360 for a conversation exploring:
• Digital warning signs and behavioral indicators
• Online grievance and distress signals
• Cyberbullying and exploitation concerns
• What educators and caregivers should know heading into the new school year

Register today: https://safeandsound.swoogo.com/digital-dangers-and-student-behavior

06/04/2026

In the latest episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Lori Alhadeff shares the deeply personal story of losing her daughter, Alyssa, in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy and the mission that she has dedicated her life to since that day.

Lori reflects on the responsibility she felt to honor Alyssa's memory by advocating for meaningful changes that help keep students and educators safe.

Her story is powerful, inspiring, and a reminder that creating safer schools requires all of us to take action.

Watch the full episode today: https://www.safeandsoundschools.org/post/from-loss-to-legacy-how-we-make-our-schools-safe-with-lori-alhadeff

06/04/2026

We’re continually inspired by every opportunity we have to connect with passionate leaders and educators who are committed to keeping schools safe, supportive, and thriving. From Frank DeAngelis, to Missy Dodds and more, the Safe and Sound community was on the move throughout May!

See where we connected, shared, and learned together this month:

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.

05/29/2026

A new piece from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) is adding important clarity to an ongoing national conversation about school safety, especially how we approach active shooter drills and what they mean for student well-being.

The article highlights recent National Academies consensus work on school active shooter drills and surfaces a tension many school communities are actively working through: how to maintain readiness while also protecting student mental, emotional, and behavioral health. It’s a reminder that safety practices don’t exist in isolation. Their impact matters as much as their intent.

What stands out is the broader shift this reflects across the field: moving beyond a “one-size-fits-all” approach to safety and toward strategies that are intentional, transparent, and developmentally appropriate.

As schools continue refining their approaches, this piece reinforces the importance of trauma-informed, evidence-informed, and comprehensive safety planning that supports both protection and well-being.

This article is as powerful read for anyone working in school safety, student support, or crisis preparedness: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/periodicals/communiqu%C3%A9-volume-54-number-8-(june-2026)/national-academies-address-active-shooter-drills

05/28/2026

Conversations about school safety conversation must start with people, not policy.

In this powerful episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay sits down with Lori Alhadeff — mother of Alyssa Alhadeff, founder of Our Schools Safe, and leading advocate behind Alyssa’s Law.

After losing Alyssa in the 2018 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Lori transformed unimaginable grief into action, helping drive legislation focused on faster emergency response and stronger school safety preparedness nationwide.

But this conversation is about more than legislation.

It’s about Alyssa’s life, the light she brought to everyone around her, and the responsibility we all share to protect students, educators, and school communities.

Listen to the full conversation here:

05/26/2026

Too many schools are still treating online behavior and classroom behavior as two separate things. In today’s school safety landscape, that separation doesn’t hold up.

What students are posting, sharing, and engaging with online is often showing up later on campus — in peer conflict, escalating tensions, and behavioral patterns that seem to appear out of nowhere.

The question we have to answer is: if we’re not consistently factoring digital behavior into how we understand student risk, what are we missing?

If your district is working through this challenge, we’re hosting a free webinar in partnership with Navigate360 that explores how online behavior is shaping student behavior and risk.

Reserve your spot today: https://safeandsound.swoogo.com/digital-dangers-and-student-behavior

05/26/2026

School safety is often talked about in pieces—policies in one place, trainings in another, teams working hard but not always aligned. But real safety doesn’t happen in silos.

When educators, mental health professionals, administrators, SROs, and community partners train separately, we miss a critical piece: the shared understanding that turns information into coordinated action.

The vital question is: where is collaboration strengthening safety in your schools, and where are the gaps still showing up?

Benjamin Fernandez explores this in our latest blog on why multidisciplinary training matters and how it helps build a more complete, connected approach to school safety.

Read the full blog today:

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.

05/24/2026

Today we want to take a moment to pause and honor the memory of the 21 lives lost four years ago at Robb Elementary School. We stand with the survivors, families, and entire Uvalde community, and recognize the immense strength and resilience necessary to honor the legacies of those they've lost.

Uvalde, our hearts are with you.

05/22/2026

What actually makes a school safety plan work when it matters most—under pressure, in real time, when decisions can’t wait?

That’s the question educators, safety leaders, and partners across the field are actively working through together. It’s also the focus of the 2026 Summer Summit on School Safety, hosted in partnership with the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS).

Early bird registration is now open for a limited time.

This summit is designed for those looking to strengthen their approach, learn from real-world experience, and connect with others doing the work of keeping schools safe every day.

Use code SUMMIT for $50 off registration: https://safeandsound.swoogo.com/2026-summer-summit-on-school-safety

05/22/2026

A locked classroom door may not seem extraordinary, but new research suggests it can make a critical difference during an act of violence.

The Texas State University ALERRT Center examined 54 school-based active shooter incidents over a 25-year period and found that no functioning locked door was breached by defeating the lock itself.

That finding does not mean that locked doors are the end of the school safety conversation, but it does remind us that a basics-first, comprehensive approach to school safety is necessary. Safer schools are built through layers — procedures, training, communication, preparedness, relationships, and physical security all working together in moments that matter most.

Research like this gives school communities an opportunity to move past opinions and ask harder questions:
🔵 What measures are truly effective?
🔵 What gaps still exist?
🔵 How do we make safety decisions grounded in evidence instead of assumptions?

We encourage educators, families, school leaders, and safety professionals to explore the findings and join the conversation.

Explore the research here: https://www.securityindustry.org/2026/05/20/texas-state-universitys-alerrt-center-releases-groundbreaking-research-on-active-shooter-events-in-schools/