Newly Appointed Senior Director of Violence Prevention Research and Programs Brings Decades of Unparalleled Experience

 

SANDY HOOK, Conn., March 7, 2023 – Safe and Sound Schools, a national non-profit school safety advocacy and resource center that provides research-based tools and support for crisis prevention, response, and recovery, today announced the appointment of Frank G. Straub, Ph.D., as Senior Director of Violence Prevention Research and Programs.  

With decades of professional and field experience, Dr. Straub is uniquely positioned to lead Safe and Sound’s violence prevention initiatives. Prior to joining the team, Dr. Straub served in numerous leadership roles, including Chief of Police and Public Safety Commissioner, in educational capacities as an author, adjunct professor, and researcher, and for national and federal agencies and organizations, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Policing Institute. 

“Having worked alongside Dr. Straub on numerous projects over the years, we’re truly honored to bring him on board to lead our violence prevention research and programs,” said Michele Gay, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Safe and Sound Schools. “Dr. Straub brings an unparalleled depth of expertise and experience to this critically important work. We look forward to working together to ensure safe and sound schools and communities.”

Dr. Straub is as dedicated and passionate in his work, as he is steadfast and committed to the mission and vision of Safe and Sound Schools. Dr. Straub is a proven leader whose vision and expertise will catapult Safe and Sound Schools into the next phase of growth, research, and program development.

“It is a privilege to join the Safe and Sound Schools team in the critical work they are doing to keep our children, schools, and communities safe,” said Dr. Straub. “I share Michele’s vision that we can prevent violence through innovation, research, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to action.”

Dr. Straub holds a B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Forensic Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice. He is the author of numerous articles and reports on school violence, crisis response, community policing, and violence prevention. 

For media inquiries, contact Kim Vann: kim@safeandsoundschools.org.

About Safe and Sound Schools:

Safe and Sound Schools is a non-profit organization founded in 2013 by parents who lost children in the Sandy Hook shooting. The organization works with school communities, state leaders, mental health, law enforcement, and safety professionals to develop and deliver research-based tools and support for crisis prevention, response, and recovery. Safe and Sound Schools answers the growing safety needs of school communities with resources like the Straight-A Safety Toolkits, programs like Especially Safe™ and Pathways for Prevention™, and through regional and national in-person and virtual summits. To access programs and experts who can address the multitude of issues that impact school safety, visit www.safeandsoundschools.org. 

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According to survey results, nearly one-third of students reported not feeling safe at school and all groups surveyed reported needing more mental health and social-emotional support.

 

NEWTOWN, CT, July 25, 2022 – A national survey and report released by Safe and Sound Schools with Raptor Technologies and Lightspeed Systems surveyed school leaders, public safety, mental health, teachers, parents, and students identifying gaps in feelings and perceptions about school safety, in particular with students.

In general, most groups feel schools are safe. However, students express the greatest concerns over feeling safe physically and emotionally. This suggests a strong need for schools to focus on identifying early indicators of concern so they can offer support well before a student proceeds down a path of harm to self or others. Re-education on safety procedures and enhanced reporting and managing of low-level indicators may be necessary to build confidence in students’ safety and wellbeing.

“Now more than ever, it is critical that school communities engage all stakeholders–– from students to superintendents––in conversation and decision-making to protect our most sacred spaces and precious community members, our schools and our students,” said Michele Gay, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Safe and Sound Schools.

The survey also revealed that all groups perceive a rise in substance abuse, depression, and anxiety among students in this given school year. However, significant perceptual differences were reported among parents who indicated the lowest perceptions of increase in all categories compared to the other groups. The survey shows a disconnect between student and educator perceptions of the handling of bullying and cyberbullying, with students reporting lower confidence.

“Students are telling us: they need more help,” says Brian Thomas, CEO of Lightspeed Systems. “We know bullying and other social challenges commonly predicate violence and self-harm or exacerbate depression and anxiety. Together we must listen to our students, identify the early warning signs, and intervene before students cause harm to themselves or others.”

These differences in responses reveal a need for community-wide conversations, outreach, and education to increase knowledge, engagement, and confidence for all members of the school community.

“This report indicates an opportunity to reinforce the importance of early intervention when it comes to student struggles with mental health, peer-on-peer abuse, and other challenges” stated Gray Hall, CEO of Raptor Technologies. “Proactive support for students is the only way for schools to make sure they are providing the wraparound services students need to achieve their best outcomes.”

Other findings from the survey include:

• All groups are extremely concerned about mental health crises, bullying/peer- on-peer abuse, substance abuse as well as neglect/abuse at home and even basic needs.
• Only 60% of students felt their school or district was prepared to support students who are being bullied at school or online.
• 79% of students perceived an increase in depression, compared to parents at 60%.
• All groups chose school counselors, school nurses, and SROs as the primary resources to keep students safe, with the support of tools and technology such as visitor management, tip lines, and social media scanning.

The Safe and Sound Schools 2022 State of School Safety Report consisted of a national sample of 816 parents of school-aged children and 881 middle and high school students (including diversity of age, geography, race, and gender), 837 school stakeholders (including teachers, administrators, staff, and school-based wellness and behavioral health professionals), and 418 public safety officials and leaders with a sampling error range of +/-4 to 5 percentage points. The Boston University College of Communication compiled the interviews and data.

About Safe and Sound Schools

Michele Gay and Alissa Parker founded Safe and Sound Schools in 2013, following the tragic deaths of their children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Safe and Sound Schools works with school communities and mental health, law enforcement, and safety professionals to create and ensure the safest possible learning environment for all youth. The non-profit organization delivers crisis-prevention, response, and recovery programs, tools, and resources backed by national experts to educate all school community members, from students and parents to teachers and administrators, to law enforcement and local leaders. Winner of the 2015 New England Business Association Innovation Award for non-profits, Safe and Sound Schools continues to answer the growing needs of school communities with custom programs, assessments, and training, reaching schools in every state in the country. For more information, visit www.safeandsoundschools.org.

About Lightspeed Systems®

With over 20 years of providing technology to meet the needs of schools, Lightspeed Systems® is the market leader in online student safety and effectiveness. The purpose-built Lightspeed ecosystem of cloud-based solutions—tailored to meet today’s evolving challenges—provides schools worldwide with the most effective web filter, student safety monitor, classroom management software, device management tool, and analytics program available. Lightspeed Systems is a proven partner for schools, serving over 20 million students in 39 countries and 28,000 schools globally. To learn more, visit www.lightspeedsystems.com.

About Raptor Technologies®

Founded in 2002, Raptor has partnered with over 50,000 schools globally, including over 5,000 K-12 US school districts, to provide integrated visitor, volunteer, emergency management, safeguarding, and early intervention software and services that cover the full spectrum of school and student safety. To learn more about Raptor Technologies, visit www.raptortech.com.

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Survey conducted by Safe and Sound Schools and Raptor Technologies shows only 65% of parents believe schools are proactively improving safety awareness versus 95% of School Administrators

NEWTOWN, CT – July 13, 2021 – A report developed by Safe and Sound Schools and Raptor Technologies, based on a nationwide survey of school district administrators, public safety staff, teachers, parents, and students, has identified significant gaps in attitudes about school safety. The 2021 State of School Safety Report shows students and parents are less confident than administrators in critical areas, including a 30-point gap when asked if their school takes a proactive approach to safety awareness.  Concerns include how proactive schools are regarding student and campus security, how the school community would respond in a campus emergency, and preparedness to reunify children with guardians following a crisis.

The report reveals a distinct difference in understanding of the steps schools are taking to address parent and student concerns about safety. Additionally, the survey generated feedback on topics such as how schools handled the COVID-19 pandemic, apprehension about the mental health of returning students, and the overall preparedness of schools to handle emergencies.

As students return to the classroom this coming fall, concerns around safety and security are top of mind.  The most significant discrepancy demonstrated by the survey was the level of confidence district administrators and security personnel have in tackling safety issues compared to the confidence levels of students and parents. For instance, where 86% of administrators feel prepared for an active shooter event in their district, only 51% of parents and 44% of students feel the same. Additionally, where 85% of security personnel and 87% of administrators feel prepared to handle mental health emergencies, only 44% of students and 45% of parents feel that school districts have the right resources in place.

“In all the years of doing this report, this is the largest disparity between respondent groups that we have seen,” said Michele Gay, Founder and Executive Director of Safe and Sound Schools. “The report highlights there is a real disconnect, or perhaps a lack of communication, between districts and families, which the pandemic may have exacerbated.”

Other key findings from the survey include: 

• 98% of administrators believe they handled the COVID-19 crisis well, whereas only 74% of parents agree
• 89% of district safety personnel agree that they have a plan for post-emergency reunification of students and guardians, whereas only 45% of parents agree
• 92% of administrators feel they have adequate safety measures within their district, and only 67% of parents agree
• 91% of district safety personnel state that they have a distinct safety plan for children with special needs, whereas only 70% of parents agree

“This report makes it clear that districts need to improve communication within their communities on how they plan to deal with emergencies and mental health challenges in the coming school year,” stated Gray Hall, CEO of Raptor Technologies. “There is an opportunity to help parents and students better understand the measures school districts are actively taking to tackle these problems through policies, procedures, and technologies that keep kids safe.”

The Safe and Sound Schools and Raptor Technologies “2021 State of School Safety Report” summarizes findings from surveying a nationwide sample of 615 parents of school-aged children and 599 middle and high-school students (including diversity of age, geography, race, and gender), 512 school stakeholders (including teachers, administrators, staff, and school-based wellness and behavioral health professionals), and 374 public safety officials with a sampling error range of +/-4 to 5 percentage points. The Boston University College of Communication compiled the interviews and data.

Safe and Sound Schools will host a live broadcast discussion on July 15 at the National Association of School Resources Officers (NASRO) National School Safety Conference in Orlando, Florida. Panelists include Mo Canady, Executive Director, NASRO; Susan Payne, Founder, and Former Executive Director, Safe2Tell; Elizabeth Brown, Principal, Forest High School, Ocala, FL; Donna Michaelis, Director, Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety; and Ian A. Moffett, retired Chief of School Police and District Security, Miami-Dade County Public Schools. To register, visit the State of School Safety Live Panel.

 To download a copy of the report, go to the 2021 State of School Safety Report

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About Safe and Sound Schools

Michele Gay and Alissa Parker founded Safe and Sound Schools in 2013, following the tragic deaths of their children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Safe and Sound Schools works with school communities and mental health, law enforcement, and safety professionals to create and ensure the safest possible learning environment for all youth. The non-profit organization delivers crisis-prevention, response, and recovery programs, tools, and resources, backed by national experts, to educate all school community members, from students and parents to teachers and administrators, to law enforcement and local leaders. Winner of the 2015 New England Business Association Innovation Award for non-profits, Safe and Sound Schools continues to answer the growing needs of school communities with custom programs, assessments, and training, reaching schools in every state in the country. For more information, visit safeandsoundschools.org.

About Raptor Technologies®

Raptor Technologies is driven by its mission to protect every child, every school, every day. Founded in 2002, Raptor has partnered with over 35,000 K-12 U.S. schools to provide integrated visitor, volunteer, and emergency management software, fulfilling a broad range of school safety requirements. Raptor also offers contactless COVID-19 health screenings and contact tracing reports, helping schools reopen and keep students, staff, and visitors safe. To learn more about Raptor Technologies, visit: www.raptortech.com

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Status Solutions affirms its continued support for Safe and Sounds Schools to increase public awareness of safety and security in schools.

New York, New York – February 10, 2020 – Status Solutions, the pioneering provider of enterprise situational awareness technologies, announced that the company will renew its partnership with national school safety nonprofit, Safe and Sound Schools.  Since 2016, Status Solutions has partnered with the nonprofit to advance Safe and Sounds Schools’ mission to protect school communities through crisis prevention, response, and recovery.  

“This partnership is a testament to Status Solutions’ longstanding commitment and service to school safety,” said Michele Gay, co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools.  “Their support ensures that we reach more schools than ever with our message and no cost resources, ensuring that children, educators and communities across the country can foster and maintain safe and positive learning environments for all.”

With Status Solutions’ support, Safe and Sound Schools will expand its contributions to the national conversation around school safety.  Together, the two school safety leaders plan to connect with legislators, assisting with the development of laws and regulations that impact schools across the country.  The partnership will allow Safe and Sound Schools to enhance special programs and initiatives focused on school safety, as well as ongoing research and training conducted by the Safe and Sound Institute.  

Status Solutions has been dedicated to school safety since its inception in 2001. After observing schools across the country struggle with strained resources, growing needs and wide-ranging threats, founder, Mike MacLeod knew schools shouldn’t be solely responsible for safety, technology and financial support. He aimed to find a solution that would lessen the burden on all schools, regardless of their financial standing, and strenghten their whole community. This led to the creation of the School Solutions Network.

School Solutions Network is an initiative that grants schools the right to use Status Solutions’ core situational awareness engine, SARA. This technology helps schools improve their safety and communication by providing staff with the ability to summon help from any browser and to send and receive quick messages. Status Solutions’ technology is customized to meet each schools’ unique needs and to better connect them not only internally, but with local law enforcement and the larger community.

Safe and Sound Schools provides a trusted platform to expand the reach in educating communities about the many Status Solutions services and technologies that help make our society safer.  

About Safe and Sound Schools

Michele Gay and Alissa Parker founded Safe and Sound Schools in 2013, following the tragic deaths of their children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Safe and Sound Schools works with school communities and mental health, law enforcement, and safety professionals to create and ensure the safest possible learning environment for all youth. The non-profit organization delivers crisis-prevention, response, and recovery programs, tools, and resources, backed by national experts, to educate all members of the school community, from students and parents, to teachers and administrators, to law enforcement and local leaders. Winner of the 2015 New England Business Association Innovation Award for nonprofits, Safe and Sound Schools continues to answer the growing needs of school communities with custom programs, assessments, and training, reaching schools in every state in the country. For more information, visit safeandsoundschools.org.

About Status Solutions

Status Solutions is the pioneering provider of situational awareness technologies for risk management with life safety, security, environmental monitoring and mass notification applications. Our customized software solutions, including the SARA automated alerting engine, ensure the right information reaches the right people automatically for faster, more efficient communication. From emergency alerting and response management to self-service, we help organizations better collect, process, interpret and deliver their data to various portals and dashboards. Real-time, detailed notifications about potential threats to life, property, business and convenience enable customers to prevent ignorance-based loss while transforming their business operations. To learn more about us, please visit www.StatusSolutions.com. To lean more about the School Solutions Network, please visit www.SchoolSolutionsNetwork.com.

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Safe and Sound Schools delivers State of School Safety Report 2019, detailing the latest information about school safety issues and recommendations on June 11, 2019

Newtown, Conn. – June 11, 2019 – Safe and Sound Schools, a national school safety non-profit, today released its State of School Safety Report 2019 in collaboration with Boston University College of Communication.  The report includes contributions to analysis and interpretation from national experts across six key areas: mental and behavioral health; health and wellness; physical environment; school law, policy, and finance; culture, climate, and community; and operations and emergency management.

“Our mission is to protect every school and every student, every day,” said Michele Gay, co-founder and executive director of Safe and Sound Schools.  “The State of School Safety Report furthers that mission each year.  With the support of faculty and students at Boston University College of Communication, we were able to conduct nationally-fielded surveys and gain a deeper understanding of the current views on school safety from all parties involved.  We hope that the 2019 Report will provide more insight into the progress our school communities have made, but more importantly, patterns that point to where we are falling short on a national level.”

Safe and Sound Schools surveyed perceptions of school safety among five groups: students in middle and high school, parents, educators, public safety officials, and community members.  This report’s findings identify several school safety issues that need to be addressed.

In the results pertaining to student feedback, students and educators were asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement, “The school takes student feedback on school safety seriously.”  Opinions from the responding students and educators differed greatly.

While 80 percent of educators surveyed agreed with the statement, only 27 percent of students felt that student feedback on school safety is taken seriously.  In fact, 60 percent of students disagree, and feel that their feedback is not taken into consideration by schools.

These responses are consistent with the 2018 State of School Safety Report, suggesting a lack of progress in this area.  The data points to the imperative for school administrators to prioritize student engagement in the planning process for safety preparedness – not solely in the activities or drills.  Students are almost universally present at school safety incidents, and should be part of the planning for emergency response.

In addition to survey data and further exploration of school safety issues, the State of School Safety Report 2019 provides strategic recommendations and steps schools can take to close the gap between stakeholder perceptions to improve school safety.

For more information, view the full ‘State of School Safety’ Report 2019.

A donation from Bark helped fund the Safe and Sound Schools team’s time to review results, coordinate external reviews, and prepare the final report.  Status Solutions supported the presentation and distribution of this research.

 

About Safe and Sound Schools

Michele Gay and Alissa Parker founded Safe and Sound Schools in 2013, following the tragic deaths of their children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Safe and Sound Schools works with school communities and mental health, law enforcement, and safety professionals to create and ensure the safest possible learning environment for all youth. The non-profit organization delivers crisis-prevention, response, and recovery programs, tools, and resources, backed by national experts, to educate all members of the school community, from students and parents, to teachers and administrators, to law enforcement and local leaders. Winner of the 2015 New England Business Association Innovation Award for nonprofits, Safe and Sound Schools continues to answer the growing needs of school communities with custom programs, assessments, and training, reaching schools in every state in the country. For more information, visit safeandsoundschools.org.

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Media Contact:

Azia Celestino

Safe and Sound Schools

acelestino@safeandsoundschools.org