From the District Training:
Before the Heartache

Letter to the Superintendent of Montgomery County Schools, Maryland. In response to the February 9, 2026 school shooting.

It’s called the “right of bang”.

And it’s just like it sounds. There was a bang—a weapon fired—and now everyone is to the right of it.

The phrase serves many purposes. The one that is most helpful to you personally, and your specific situation, is to accept that the outcome of that horrible event can no longer be influenced.

I would never suggest to let it go. As if that's even possible.

What I’m saying is that you’re in a fight for the soul of your school district. What you do now will influence every single tomorrow—for better or worse.

There is zero time to spend on what cannot be changed.
Your focus, energy, and resources must center on what can still be decided:

Yes, investigate. Find the real reasons it happened. I guarantee it will be a chain of small catastrophes and not one single failure like so many are suggesting. 

But lead and focus in the present. 

You may not feel like it right now, but you have a real opportunity for good—if you take it. 

For the record, no one can turn what happened into something good. Don’t carry that weight. What is bad will always be bad. All that anyone can do is try to pull some good from it. 

Lean into that. That will fill you with hope, energy, and compassion.
The exact qualities needed to recover from extreme violence. 

A positive, well executed, and loving “right of bang” will save lives, cultures, and careers. 

Here are some next steps: 

1. Offer a series of critical incident debriefs.

2. Make a Positive, Visible Change.

People need to see a change—not hear promises about it.

The fastest way to do that is to reshape the daily experience of school. Teachers, students, and parents know exactly how it felt before February 9. If nothing visibly changes, nothing internally changes.

The change needs to make everyone feel more supported, more connected, and more loved. The easiest way to accomplish that is by implementing one simple Safe & Loved method: 

Four Points of Contact.

During arrival and dismissal, every student—and every staff member—receives no fewer than four positive points of contact. 

Small, simple, intentional interactions: 

This is easy to implement. Easy to measure. Immediate in impact.

It increases connection. It reduces isolation. It makes people feel seen.

Alongside it, establish a simple reporting system. When one of those interactions reveals concern, staff should be able to quickly message leadership or counseling: “I’m worried about… can you please take a look?”

And consider adopting a shared motto.

Communities that experience violence often find strength in a unifying phrase:
One School. One Promise.
Everyone Safe & Loved.
Safer Together.

Engagement increases safety and stabilizes culture. 

3. Change your safety.

Do not double down on the exact same approach that got you here. 

Yes—AI weapon detection and metal detectors may help.
They are valuable tools but tools are not a system.

Mechanical devices without strengthened human engagement will not rebuild trust or culture.

Revolutionize your safety by strengthening both.

Safety and culture at the same time by blending in proven violence prevention techniques into every interaction. This way your safety approach becomes comprehensive, daily, and self-running.

Adopt E-SAT Safe & Loved Model:

Engagement
Supervision
Access Control
Territorial Reinforcement (Ownership)

When engagement is increased, supervision improves and becomes automatic.
When that happens your access control strengthens. When people feel ownership, they know they’re seen and valued. 

Lowering anxiety, fear, and encouraging them to protect one another.

Every school safety success can be measured by the strength of its E-SAT.
Every failure can be traced to its absence.

Blanket your school with E-SAT and everything will change for the better—immediately. 

I’m sorry you’re to the right of bang. Nobody wants to be there. But someone else made that choice for everyone.

That was decided for you.
But what happens next is yours. 

Revolutionize your safety and adopt a total safety approach.
Move fast. Be clear. Be visible. Tell the truth. 

And above all, focus on people.

If you do that, your safety will deepen. Trust will return. Good teachers will stay. Students will feel it. Parents will see it.

You can’t change what happened,
but this will help you pull some good from it.