When a crisis hits, what you say — and how you say it — can shape a community’s path to recovery.

In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay sits down with veteran educators and crisis communication experts Dr. Lori Mueller and Jerry Gallagher to unpack what it takes to lead in the moments that matter most. Drawing from their years of experience supporting schools before, during, and after emergencies, Lori and Jerry share the strategies, pitfalls, and personal lessons that help leaders protect both safety and trust.

From navigating tragedy with compassion to making sure every voice feels heard, this conversation offers practical steps — and the human perspective — behind effective crisis response.

In the conversation:

• How to communicate when emotions run high and facts are still coming in

• The difference between “managing” a crisis and leading through one

• Why trust is your most valuable safety asset — and how to build it before you need it

• Lessons from real school emergencies that can help any leader be better prepared

• The role of relationships in both prevention and recovery
  

👉 Listen now and learn how to strengthen your school community before the next crisis hits.

Visit https://safeandsoundschools.org to explore resources, tools, and more ways to take action in your school community.

Guest Links:

Dr Lori Mueller:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-lori-mueller-42a74736/

Jerry Gallagher:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-gallagher-7b405b156/

Donovan Group:

https://donovan-group.com/crisis/

Show links:

Connect with Michele

When it comes to keeping schools safe, there’s no single law, gadget, or checklist that will do the job — and Kathy Martinez-Prather wants everyone to know it.

As Director of the Texas School Safety Center, Kathy leads one of the nation’s most forward-thinking efforts to create safer schools through prevention, policy, and community collaboration. In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay sits down with Kathy to explore what school safety really means, why it’s so much more than security hardware, and how every person — from students to policymakers — has a role to play.

In this conversation:

• Why “school safety” means much more than preventing active shooter incidents
  

• How Texas is building a culture of safety through legislation, training, and collaboration
  

• The critical role of prevention and early intervention — and why “see something, say something” still works
  

• The next generation of safety leaders: engaging youth in statewide safety initiatives
  

👉 Listen now and learn how prevention, connection, and shared responsibility can transform school safety in your community.

Visit safeandsoundschools.org for resources, tools, and ways to take action.

Links and resources:

• Texas School Safety Center on LinkedIn
  

Show links:

• Connect with Michele
  

• Donate
  

• Visit our website
  
  

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death for children with autism. But what if the biggest barrier to preventing it... is misunderstanding?

In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, host Michele Gay sits down with Cindy Freedman, co-founder of Swim Angelfish and a longtime pediatric therapist, to confront the realities — and the myths — of water safety for neurodivergent children. Together, they share hard truths, personal stories, and practical tools that every family, therapist, and school leader should know.

From Michele’s own experience navigating water safety with her daughter Josephine, to Cindy’s decades of training professionals across the country, this conversation shines a light on how we can turn the water from a place of fear into one of empowerment, safety, and inclusion.

In this conversation:

• Why children with autism are at much higher risk of drowning — and how we fix that

• The most dangerous myths about water safety and neurodivergent kids

• What makes aquatic therapy so powerful for teaching body awareness and regulation

• How Swim Angelfish helps professionals nationwide create safer water experiences

• Why real safety means meeting kids where they are — not where we wish they were

👉 Listen now and learn how to turn awareness into action — in your family, your school, and your community.

PLUS download some AMAZING free tools on water safety at: https://swimangelfish.com/

Guest Links:

Swim Angelfish

LinkedIn

Instagram

Swim Whisperers Podcast

Show links:

Connect with Michele

Donate

Visit our website

When former Secret Service agent Mike Matranga turned his attention to school safety, he didn’t bring more gadgets or guards — he brought a mission to empower people.

In this episode of The Sound Off on School Safety, Michele Gay talks with nationally recognized school safety leader Mike Matranga about what most schools get wrong — and what it really takes to prevent violence. From his experience in the Secret Service to leading safety transformation in Texas City ISD after the Santa Fe tragedy, Mike shares why prevention beats panic, and how culture — not tech — is the key to safer schools.

In the conversation:

• Why safety culture must be prioritized over technology
  

• The behavioral cues that matter — and when to act on them
  

• How to empower every adult in a school without overwhelming them
  

• Why reducing all violence — not just active shootings — matters most
  

• The critical difference between tools that feel safe vs. those that are
  

👉 Listen now and learn how real safety starts with empowering real people.

Visit https://safeandsoundschools.org to explore resources, tools, and more ways to take action in your school community.

Links and resources:

Mike’s LinkedIn

M6 Global Defense

Show links:

Connect with Michele

Donate

Visit our website

How do we protect our kids from grooming and abuse when the signs are often so hard to spot?

In this episode of The Sound Off, Michele Gay sits down with Michelle Denault, an advocate and survivor, to discuss the realities of grooming, how predators manipulate trust, and how we can build safer environments for our children. Michelle shares her powerful story and offers practical insights into how communities can recognize and respond to grooming behaviors to protect kids from harm.

Weapons detection in schools—it’s a challenging topic that sparks strong opinions.

In this episode, Michele Gay sits down with Tom McDermott, a recognized expert in detection technology, to unpack what weapons detection really means for K-12 schools. They discuss why it’s not just about metal detectors, but about layered security strategies and thoughtful implementation.

Listen to learn how to balance safety with practical concerns, and why understanding the difference between traditional metal detection and modern weapons detection is key.

What if your students could be the solution to your school’s digital drama?

In this episode, Michele Gay talks with Kim Karr—co-founder of Digital4Good—about the real impact of digital citizenship, student empowerment, and practical online safety. From fake accounts to digital addiction, discover how schools can equip students to lead the charge in creating safer, more positive online communities.

Empowering students. Strengthening communities. Preventing harm.
Michele Gay sits down with Lindsay Burton from CISA to talk about the transformative role of bystander reporting in school safety. Learn how these systems create trusted pathways for school communities to speak up—and why culture and connection matter just as much as technology.

How can technology simplify and supercharge school safety? Jake Leichtling from Verkada joins The Sound Off to break it down. Discover how smart solutions like AI-driven tools, digital locks, and privacy-conscious systems are transforming school safety. It's about making it easier for teachers, resource officers, and administrators to keep students safer.

Inside the Episode:

Introduction and Jake’s Superpower - 00:00:00

Tech for Good - 00:02:11

Essential School Safety Tech - 00:03:23

Prioritizing Interventions - 00:06:00

The Three Pillars of Innovation - 00:08:59

Trends in School Security - 00:13:14

Real-Life Applications - 00:20:20

Funding School Safety Tech - 00:26:04

Looking Ahead: AI and Beyond - 00:31:16

Jake Sounds Off: Day-to-Day vs. Catastrophic Prep - 00:34:01

This World Autism Month, The Sound Off dedicates a special episode to supporting students with autism and other special needs. Join us for a discussion with inspiring advocate Jeff Snyder and Nick Savarise from the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation.