This session begins with a special presentation by Chuck Wilson, co-founder of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS), who will detail the story behind the development of PASS and its role in advancing school safety through collaboration, consensus, and best-practice guidance.

Building on that foundation, Michele Gay will share her personal story and the lessons she learned following the loss of her daughter Josephine and 25 others in the Sandy Hook School tragedy on December 14, 2012. As the mother of a special-needs child and a former elementary school teacher, Michele offers a powerful perspective on the role of prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery in protecting school communities.

Weaving together the evolution of school safety best practices with the lived experience that helped shape them, this session offers a powerful reminder that school safety is both a professional responsibility and a deeply human commitment. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of how collaboration, preparedness, and shared ownership can strengthen safety efforts and help ensure every student and educator has the opportunity to learn and thrive in a safe environment.