Gaggle Speaks

Ideas, news, and advice for K-12 educators and administrators to help create safe learning environments.

Student Safety

A Mother’s Story


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Written by Lisa Railton
on February 3, 2020

What would you do if your child’s school called to inform you about a suicide note on their school-issued device? This terrifying situation was a reality for one parent in a Gaggle school district.

However, the school didn’t actually discover what Tricia’s son Matthew wrote—his friend saw the note and thankfully alerted a teacher about the situation before tragedy struck. While the school district had implemented Gaggle’s school safety platform, it was only being used at the high school level. When she discovered the district was only safeguarding the older students, Tricia pointed out the need for a greater review across all grade levels. “After learning the solution was only being used at the high school, I was angry,” she said. “I asked them, ‘What if something happens? Would you want that on your hands?’”

The school district has since expanded its usage of Gaggle to incorporate the middle school, ensuring that more students in the district are being protected. The student safety platform allows school districts to proactively identify and support those who are struggling, helping to ensure the safety and well-being of their students and schools. “Gaggle gives me reassurance as a parent,” said Tricia. “Gaggle makes me believe that for the kid who needs the help, there’s a great possibility that they will find it.”

Gaggle's in-house team of trained safety professionals work around the clock to evaluate and categorize incidents based on their severity. While some parents are concerned about student privacy when it comes to reviewing students’ digital activity, Gaggle Safety Management gives Tricia peace of mind. “If it’s going to protect my child or save my child, I don’t care how you get the information, just get it,” she said. “And that’s what I believe Gaggle is doing—it’s getting struggling kids the help they need because we can’t do it on our own.”

Read Tricia’s full story to learn more about how this parent fought to protect more students in her district.

Note: This story comes from a parent who lives in a school district using Gaggle Safety Management. Names have been changed to protect privacy.

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