Having a campus-wide communication ecosystem is imperative, and school district leaders have no higher priority than to create secure and informed campus environments.
Being able to initiate a controlled emergency notification protocol to alert, notify and monitor directly from a mobile device, classroom audio system, or interactive flat panel is essential.
An Teach Strats panel of experts, including Brent Thrasher, Instructional Technology Coordinator at Overton County Schools and Todd Eddy from Galaxy Next Generation, offers insights into how to make better decisions, prevent risk, and strengthen communication between faculty, administration, and first responders during an active threat.
Topics include:
- How to immediately notify teachers of a lockdown through software alerts.
- How to instantly notify law enforcement and first responders.
- How to monitor communication within your entire ecosystem using one software platform.
Related:
3 keys to school communication and community-building
- In districts, reaching readiness, retention, and success - March 5, 2026
- AI use is on the rise, but is guidance keeping pace? - January 2, 2026
- 49 predictions about edtech, innovation, and–yes–AI in 2026 - January 1, 2026
More from Teach Strats
We need to start giving agency to educators instead of edtech vendors
American schools spent roughly $30 billion on educational technology in 2024–a figure that’s projected to nearly double by 2033. Superintendents are constantly bombarded with emails, brochures, and demos from education technology companies.
My students need real connection, not AI feedback
As I wrapped up my student conferences, one conversation stuck with me. Steven had barely touched his final project for our computer science course, a virtual simulation of a piano, despite showing real promise earlier in the year.
Will schools answer the Canvas breach’s wake-up call?
The recent Instructure/Canvas breach should be a wake-up call for every school and university relying on third-party platforms to power teaching and learning.
Data alone doesn’t determine school success–leaders who know how to use it do
Educators often see recommendations, dashboards, and strategic plans labeled as “data-backed,” as if the numbers themselves drive outcomes. The truth is that data alone cannot make decisions or explain why students struggle or programs succeed.
How districts can build a shared AI structure
In the second week of January, a senior mathematics teacher with 22 years in the classroom raised a hand at the end of a staff meeting and asked a question that changed the way I now design AI literacy work for entire faculties.
This district’s STEM “space station” is a growing YouTube hit
A fictional space station orbiting the moon is turning into a real-world digital success story. Spacegate Station, a STEM series created in 2022 by Duval County Public School (DCPS) to support daily instruction, has unexpectedly taken off on YouTube, drawing sustained engagement from viewers far beyond the district.
Beyond the ban: Rethinking cell phone policies in schools with smarter solutions
Across the country, educators, parents, and policymakers are struggling with a question that schools can no longer afford to avoid: What role should cell phones play in today’s classrooms?
Finding the “low way”: Reclaiming creativity in schools
When my daughter was little, every time we climbed into the car, she’d look up and ask, “Are we going to take the low way?”
How AI helps teachers spend less time on assessments and more time on impactful instruction
The overreliance on AI is a widely discussed topic for teachers, administrators, and families alike. The last thing we want is for technology to stifle the creativity, expertise, and human connection that educators bring to the classroom or hinder our students’ ability to think critically.
When it comes to absenteeism, the real work begins in summer
Every June, once the last bus leaves and the halls go quiet, I get the strong desire to take a deep breath and to allow the pressure of the previous school year to subside and let the slower pace of summer settle in.