Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Singlewire Software Acquires Visitor Aware to Add Visitor Check-in and Student Management to Its Suite of School Safety Offerings

MADISON, WIS. (PRWEB) — Singlewire Software, the leader in solutions that help keep people safe and informed, announces its acquisition of  Visitor Aware, a robust tool for visitor and student management. The acquisition enables Singlewire to expand its suite of safety and communication offerings with visitor and student management capabilities that add to the emergency notification and incident management offerings of its  InformaCast software.

“It’s becoming more evident that school safety starts at the front door, so when our school customers started asking us for help with visitor check-in and student management, we went looking for a partner that could offer a solution that would exceed their expectations,” said Paul Shain, president and CEO of Singlewire Software. “Visitor Aware develops state-of-the-art safety solutions that help organizations keep their building secure and their people protected, which pairs perfectly with our mission of keeping people safe and informed, everywhere. Every time.”

Visitor Aware provides schools and other organizations the tools to screen visitors so they can identify threats before unwanted guests gain access to sensitive areas. Visitors have their IDs scanned when they enter a building. That information is used in conjunction with encrypted facial recognition to screen visitors against national sex offender and government watchlists and active legal injunctions. Potential issues are flagged to prevent guests from further entering a building, and approved guests are given a printed pass so they can proceed. Visitor Aware also offers tools for volunteer management, tardiness tracking, secure student release and pick-up, rostering and reunification, and setting up a tip line for potential threats.…Read More

State of School Safety Report Reveals Students Want More Social and Emotional Support and Increased Safety

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.…Read More

Navigate360 Sets New Standard for K-12 School Safety with Fully Integrated Visitor, Volunteer & Emergency Management Suite & Alyssa’s Law-Compliant Panic Alarms

RICHFIELD, OH, July 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Schools nationwide are working quickly to enhance safety and security plans to satisfy updated state mandates and give their students and staff the confidence they need to be successful. Navigate360 is proud to aid in their efforts with a new, fully integrated Safety & Security Suite that seamlessly provides the tools and technology schools need to ensure proper plans and processes are in place to prevent a critical incident and respond to a crisis if necessary. 

Navigate360’s Safety & Security Suite integrates state-of-the-art Visitor, Volunteer and Emergency Management systems with Alyssa’s Law-compliant panic buttons, enabling schools to directly – and silently – alert first responders when faced with an emergency incident. The cloud-based solution enables 360-degree visibility of both the site and the location of students, staff, visitors and volunteers, which is critical when every second counts for first responders and school security teams.     

“School safety is a complex, multifaceted issue, and it’s clear that point solutions aren’t enough on their own,” said Navigate360 CEO JP Guilbault. “We’re delivering on our ‘better together’ commitment by providing a modern, connected platform that eliminates schools’ functional and data silos by integrating visitor, volunteer and emergency management into a single platform with Alyssa’s Law-compliant panic buttons. This is the new standard for modern school safety.”  …Read More

Pikmykid Prioritizes School Safety with Expansion of Features

TAMPA, Fla., Mar. 17, 2022 –  Pikmykid, the leading provider of school safety and dismissal solutions, today announces its latest features to provide schools with the most inclusive resources to implement a safer learning environment for students. 

The Pikmykid platform initially began as a solution for schools to streamline drop-offs and dismissals safely and efficiently but has since expanded to become a fully comprehensive safety platform. The platform now includes access to a safety panic button, enabling school staff to raise an alarm on any device for over a dozen different emergencies that can occur with one push of a button. While this feature will allow staff to take quick action against school violence or other unprecedented events, it can also be used as a resource for more common emergencies, including a medical crisis or power outage. This latest safety feature has allowed Pikmykid to tie dismissal, safety, and parent engagement all into a single, user-friendly platform.

Along with the installation of its safety panic button, Pikmykid has also added a  Daily Health Check-In module to help parents and teachers identify students who may be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. The customizable health questionnaire allows schools to determine the most pertinent information they need to keep students safe. The survey only takes a few seconds for parents to complete and will provide school administrators a variety of insights about students’ health to ensure a safe and ongoing learning environment. The Daily Health Check-In will also help schools apply social distancing measures during morning drop-offs and dismissal and will limit the number of visitors allowed on school property. …Read More

Are schools really safe?

When we think about school safety our first instinct is physical safety. Sadly, it’s a real concern with the all-too-regular gun shootings and bullying that occurs. However, there’s a far more common and pervasive issue occurring: emotional safety.

Since the industrial revolution, school has been primarily taught in an authoritarian style where kids are judged constantly and relentlessly from academics to behaviors. In addition, teachers and peers use shame and degradation to show their “higher” value or status, which causes additional emotional trauma.

We might think it’ll “toughen kids up,” but given the levels of [emotional] stress kids experience every day, it’s doing far more harm than good. Not to mention, emotional stress changes brain chemistry–especially when you experience this type of regular cortisol release. Kids aren’t spontaneously “going crazy” and “mentally ill” with depression and anxiety; they’re simply trying to survive in their environment.…Read More

How AI technologies support school safety

The COVID pandemic has changed much about how we live and how we work. Nowhere is this more evident than in our schools – in how we safely teach our students and how our students learn, safely. The challenge with schools is that, from a safety perspective, educational institutions were already under siege.

Consider the following: According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are more than 3,200 fires each year in schools in the U.S. According to the United States Government Accountability Office, there are roughly 115 school bus incidents involving fatalities each year. Of course, most people don’t realize this because this information is overshadowed by the 180 school shootings in the U.S. from 2009-2018, according to CNN.

And now – in 2021 – we have inserted the impact of a global pandemic into this already-volatile situation, with almost no suggestions or assistance to these schools regarding how to safely re-open and keep our school campuses open.…Read More

State of School Safety Report Reveals 30% Gap between Parents and Administrators on Perception of School Safety

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. …Read More

School District Uses Digital Signage to Stay Connected

Keeping connected amidst the global pandemic has become critically important for schools. Central Lyon School District in Rock Rapids, Iowa has leveraged its digital signage to facilitate sporting events and maintain a community spirit – even while observing official health and safety guidelines. 

Central Lyon is a unique K12 school district that serves 780 students, from preschool to high school, in one large campus building. While they were fortunate to be able to open for the fall 2020 school term, they needed to adapt to new protocols and guidelines for social distancing. 

In addition to mandatory mask-wearing for students, there are also limitations on attendance for sports and other events. School safety is of utmost importance so digital signage has been an important ally in communicating the social distancing regulations and attendance capacity limits. …Read More

eBOARDsolutions Announces Major Update to Simbli Policy Module

eBOARDsolutions Inc., today announced a major update to their online policy management software, the Simbli Policy Module.

One of six core modules that make up Simbli’s board management software, the Policy module helps school boards develop, communicate, and collaborate on policies and procedures in real time. Fully integrated with Simbli’s Meetings, Planning, Evaluations, Documents, and Communications Modules, the newly enhanced Policy Module provides governance teams even greater flexibility and control in managing all of the board’s important work.

“Through Simbli’s Policy module, our subscribers can not only access and make vital updates to their board policy manual, but also manage things like student and staff handbooks, school safety manuals, financial or IT procedures manuals, business continuity plans, and other critical manuals all in one place,” said Mark Willis, eBOARDsolutions Chief Operating Officer. “With Simbli, all of their manuals are easily searchable and 100% compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”…Read More