It’s about time that our nation begins to focus more solidly on the security and safety of our schools. We’ve enjoyed a relatively safe existence in our schools for decades and decades. We have had some very high-profile tragedies in our schools recently, from weather to shooters to fires, but for the most part, our schools remain the safest place to be for our kids. But they are not forever going to be that way. It's time for our nation to address school safety in a more proactive way. We are noticing trends and events that are preventable in this day and age.”
Michele Gay is taking up the banner for K-12 school security, and the fight is personal. Gay, a former public school educator who lost her daughter Josephine to the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, joined forces with Alissa Parker, the mother of Josephine’s good friend Emilie, who was also killed in the shooting. Through their discussions with friends, neighbors and first responders in the Sandy Hook community, they co-founded Safe and Sound: A Sandy Hook Initiative.