Podcasts

Strength in Preparedness: How Uvalde Students Are Contributing to School Safety

NEW! January 2026

In 2025 the Youth of Uvalde student group received a School Safety Spotlight Award from the Texas School Safety Center for the development of a lockdown bucket, which they call Coyote Kits. In this Learning Lab episode, Kathleen Bates, Youth Initiatives Coordinator, sits down with members of the Youth of Uvalde (Y.O.U.) student group to discuss the lockdown bucket that was developed by Uvalde High School students after the tragedy at Robb Elementary.

Prepared to Save: A Teen CERT Hero in Action

September 2025

In this Learning Lab episode, Kathleen Bates, Youth Initiatives Coordinator, sits down with Makaylla Talavera, a graduate from Pasadena Memorial High School's class of 2025. On the evening of Saturday, February 1, 2025, gunshots erupted during a band competition, chaos and fear began to spread and while students, staff, and families fled for safety, the shooter was quickly disarmed. While the four men who detained the shooter were honored for their heroism, another hero went unknown and unrecognized. That hero is Makaylla Talavera. This interview recounts those chaotic moments as gunshots erupted and how Makaylla applied her Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to evacuate the gunshot victim and save his life. Makaylla also shares her thoughts on how schools can help teens be prepared for any emergency.

How Fusion Centers Can Assist School Districts

April 2025 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Dr. Celina Bley speaks with staff from two Texas fusion centers to discuss their role in Texas and how they can assist school districts, specifically with school behavioral threat assessments. They discuss how centers collaborate with law enforcement and the importance of having current contact information for the growing number of school district police departments in Texas. They also discuss the Texas Suspicious Activity Reporting Network (iWatchTexas) and the specific reporting process for school safety related reports.

Why and How One District Implemented a Guardian Program in Addition to Their Police Department

December 2024 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Dr. Celina Bley speaks with staff from Mineola ISD, a district that has developed a Guardian Program alongside their own ISD police department. Staff discuss why they developed the program in addition to their law enforcement presence as well as how they intentionally train their guardians beyond the minimum requirements. Their school safety philosophy is elaborated to detail how their vision is implemented to expand their school safety posture.

An Inside Look at Starting Your Own ISD Police Department
Part 2 of 2

June 2024 

In this two-part Learning Lab episode, host Brian Clason and co-host Joe Munoz, explore what it takes for a school district to start their own ISD police department. In part two, Brian and Joe sit down with Eanes ISD Superintendent, Dr. Jeff Arnett and Eanes ISD Police Chief, Matt Greer to discuss their journey from school board approval to a fully functional ISD police force.

An Inside Look at Starting Your Own ISD Police Department
Part 1 of 2

June 2024 

In this two-part Learning Lab episode, host Brian Clason and co-host Joe Munoz, explore what it takes for a school district to start their own ISD police department. In part one, Brian and Joe sit down with Jarrell ISD Superintendent, Dr. Toni Hicks and Jarrell ISD Police Chief, Sharif Mezayek to discuss their journey from school board approval to a fully functional ISD police force.

Vaping and its Impact on Teen Mental Health

June 2024 

In this Learning Lab episode, two Say What! Teen Ambassadors sit down with Leanne Foell, LCSW a mental health therapist and teen advocate. Leanne sheds light on the different effects addiction has on teens, common misconceptions of THC being “safer”, signs and symptoms of what addiction to vaping may look like, and recommendations for creating an action plan for youth who want to quit vaping.

Staying Safe Curriculum: A Year In Review

May 2024 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Brian Clason sits down with Michele Gay, co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools, to reflect on the past year and a half, in which Safe and Sound Schools modified the Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) course for age-appropriate delivery to Texas K-12 students.

Can Artificial Intelligence Improve School Safety? Part 2 of 2

January 2024 

In this two-part Learning Lab episode, host Brian Clason explores how artificial intelligence is shifting the school safety landscape for Texas school districts. In part two, Brian sits down with Liberty Hill ISD’s Chief of Schools, Travis Motal, to discuss the role artificial intelligence is playing in Liberty Hill ISD’s ongoing journey to improve safety.

Can Artificial Intelligence Improve School Safety? Part 1 of 2

December 2023 

In this two-part Learning Lab episode, host Brian Clason explores how artificial intelligence is shifting the school safety landscape for Texas school districts. In part one, Brian sits down with Waco ISD’s Superintendent, Susan Kincannon, and Chief Technology Officer, Jerry Allen, to discuss the role artificial intelligence is playing in Waco ISD’s ongoing journey to improve school safety in the wake of a 2022 active shooter hoax and the discovery of weapons at Waco High School in early 2023.

Tobacco Use in the Military: An Insider's Perspective

November 2023 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Kathleen Bates sits down with retired Naval Executive Officer, Alvaro (Al) Lima, to reflect on the changing targeted marketing tactics he witnessed from tobacco companies over the course of his 30 years of service.

Tobacco Use in the Military: A Historical Perspective

November 2023 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Kathleen Bates sits down with Dr. Joel Dunnington, former professor of Diagnostic Radiology at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center to discuss the deceptive tactics the tobacco industry used to sabotage the U.S. military into accepting the use of tobacco products as a part of their culture.

A Discussion About School District Cybersecurity Preparedness

March 2023 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Celina Bley sits down with Todd Pauley, the Deputy CISO and Cybersecurity Coordinator at the Texas Education Agency, and Karen Fuller, the Director of Network Infrastructure & Communications at Cypress Fairbanks ISD, to discuss the challenges school districts face in their journey to protect their cybersecurity infrastructure.

A Discussion About the School Safety and Security Committee

March 2023 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Celina Bley sits down with Paul Batchelder, Director of Life, Safety, and Emergency Preparedness in New Caney ISD, to discuss the key role the district’s School Safety and Security Committee plays in safety and security planning, implementation, and assessment.

Recognizing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence

February 2023 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Stephanie Peterson sits down with Randy Randolph, Senior Prevention Coordinator Expect Respect (SAFE Alliance), to discuss the signs of teen dating violence and how to respond to it.

Breaking the Pathway to Violence with an Intervention Plan

January 2023 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Celina Bley sits down with Kate Shaw, Threat Assessment Coordinator at Mansfield ISD, to discuss the importance of stopping a student's pathway to violence by utilizing a documented intervention plan.

Child Trafficking in Your Texas Community

January 2023 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Celina Bley sits down with Debbie Solcher from Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas and Janet Kasper from the Office of the Texas Governor's Child Sex Trafficking Team to discuss child trafficking. The trio cover the types and warning signs of child trafficking, who is at risk for being trafficked, prevention efforts for parents and schools, and resources aimed at preventing trafficking and supporting those who are being trafficked.

Do We All Experience Anxiety?

December 2022 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Stephanie Peterson sits down with Michelle Tubilla, a Licensed Professional Counselor and former school counselor, to discuss how anxiety can look like behavior problems in the classroom and at home, and some practical tools that can be used to regulate our nervous system.

Developing a Multi-hazard Emergency Operations Plan

November 2022 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Celina Bley sits down with Ty Morrow, Director of Safety, Security, and Emergency Management, in Brazosport ISD to discuss the high level of collaboration needed to develop a multi-hazard emergency operations plan for your district.

When the Opioid Crisis Arrives at Your Doorstep

November 2022 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Stephanie Peterson sits down with Jeri Skrocki, Head of District Safety and Security in Hays CISD, to discuss the impact of the fentanyl crisis on Hays CISD and the surrounding community.

Bullying and its Impact on Youth Mental Health

October 2022 

In this Learning Lab episode, host Stephanie Peterson sits down with Maurine Molak, co-founder of David's Legacy Foundation, to discuss what bullying is and the profound negative impact it has on youth mental health when left unaddressed.

Intruder Detection Audits

October 2022 

In this inaugural Learning Lab episode, host Celina Bley discussed the new Intruder Detection Audits and the role of the TxSSC. As the responsibility to conduct them is now with the Texas Education Agency, this podcast is no longer available.

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