Goal #1 is creating a safe, secure and healthy environment for our students and staff. The Region 17 2021 Safety Summit will help your district leadership, safety team, and other staff in supporting this goal by providing sessions on Texas Education Agency's Safe and Supportive Schools Program (SSSP), Legislative Updates from the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC), internet safety, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and two powerful speakers who lived through a school violence event.

Our keynote speaker is Michele Gay, Co-Founder of Safe and Sound Schools.  She will share her personal story and recount the lessons she learned on December 14, 2012 and in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook School tragedy.  She shares the inspiring way she has chosen to help school communities improve school safety in honor of her daughter, Josephine, and memory of the other 19 children and six teachers lost on December 14, 2012. Michele’s perspective, as the mother of a special-needs child and former elementary school teacher, provides unique insight and inspiration for parents, administrators, school staff, emergency responders and community members who strive to make their schools safer. Michele Gay and the Safe and Sound foundation bring an important message to our communities and represent a powerful presence in our national school safety community.

The intended audience is superintendents, assistant superintendents, campus leadership, and members of your district safety team.