2025 Virginia School Safety Executive Forum
Leading the Way in School Safety
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Hampton Convention Center
GOAL: To provide a unique opportunity for decision-makers to hear from their peers and colleagues and facilitate meaningful change in support of legislation, Governor’s initiatives, and best practices in crisis management, critical incident response, drug prevention, and relationship building.
AGENDA | PRESENTER BIOS
1:00 pm: Welcome and Introductions
1:15 pm Navigating the Digital Threat Landscape
Steven MacDonald, Safer Schools Together
As the digital threat landscape continues to evolve, so do the challenges and risks associated with school safety. A comprehensive overview of the current digital threats and actionable skills and tools for crisis and threat assessment teams across Virginia and the nation will be provided.
2:15 pm Break
2:30 pm School Safety Update from the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS)
Donna Michaelis, Division Director, Public Safety Training and the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
James Christian, Ed.D., Manager, Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
This session will provide a summary of the past 25 years in school safety in Virginia, what the five-part school safety audit data reveals about crisis planning, threat assessment, mental health, School Resource Officers, School Security Officers, and school climate in Virginia’s schools, and what is on the horizon for the future.
3:15 pm Break
3:30 pm School Safety Hot Topics and Partner Updates
Shellie Evers, Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety and Crisis Management Supervisor, Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
In this rotating format, participants will have the opportunity to hear and weigh in on the hot topics in school safety.
- Addressing the Gaps in School Safety: Critical Incident Response | VCSCS
- Avoiding a Secondary Crisis with Effective Crisis Communication | VASS
- School Resource Officer Policy Acknowledgement | VSA
- School-Law Enforcement Partnerships | VACP
- Guidelines for Selecting Parent Materials Related to Student Safety Concerns | VDOE
- Reinventing and Expanding DARE | DARE
- Virginia Rules and One Pill Can Kill | OAG
- Promoting School Safety and Keeping Local Flexibility in Implementing Policy | VSBA
- School Safety Mini-Grants | VRSA
4:30 pm Wildcard Discussion - Addressing Gaps in School Safety
5:00 pm Executive Forum Concludes