California Safe and Supportive Schools

Building Safer Schools Through Connection, Support and Belonging Brief

Stronger Connections

Building Safer Schools Through Connection, Support and Belonging Brief

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School safety efforts often prioritize physical security and crisis response, yet these measures rarely address the root causes of safety concerns. A growing body of evidence points to a different path: preventing harm by strengthening connection, support, and belonging so that students feel both seen and supported and that they are part of their school community.

This guide combines research evidence with practical guidance, pairing five evidence-based school safety strategies with actionable recommendations and examples from California school districts.

Beyond Self-Care: Creating Supportive Conditions for Staff Well-Being

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Watch the webinar recording here:

Transcripts can be found here.

The Padlet can be found here.

Description:

Supporting staff well-being in schools requires more than encouraging individual self-care; it calls for intentional practices, supportive conditions, and a culture of collective care. In this session, participants will explore practical strategies schools and districts can use to support adult well-being, strengthen connection, and create more restorative work environments. Participants will also hear from a school Principal about how staff well-being efforts have made a meaningful difference in her school community, including the role of a dedicated staff wellness space. The webinar will offer practical strategies and resources that educators and leaders can adapt to help create healthier, more supportive conditions for staff across a school community.

Presenters:

Jenny Betz (she/they) is a Senior Program Associate with WestEd’s Center for Education Systems, where they lead coaching and professional learning to strengthen trauma-informed, equitable, and student-centered systems across California and nationally. With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit education field, Betz partners with leaders to build sustainable systems that support both student well-being and adult capacity.

A core focus of their work is educator and staff wellness, recognizing that healthy systems depend on healthy people. They currently serve as lead facilitator for WestEd’s internal course, Grounded in Change: Moving from Reactive to Intentional in Times of Disruption, supporting staff in navigating uncertainty with clarity and intention. Across all contexts, Jenny helps leaders stay grounded, purposeful, and connected—especially in challenging times.

Jacqueline L. Campbell has been a principal for 17 years and currently serves as Principal of Kinoshita Elementary School in Capistrano Unified School District. Jacqueline has supported learners with an over 90 percent poverty level, populations of over 70 percent English Language Learners, and students living with a gang-presence in some neighborhoods. Jacqueline has also led schools with students from affluence who begin school as high performers. What’s more, she has successfully helped schools navigate the COVID pandemic, helping her students achieve higher levels of academic, social, and emotional success. Jacqueline’s insights speak to a powerful approach to leadership—one that rewards patience and consistency with intentional focus on time and team to build ongoing growth and development. This approach is detailed in her book, ‘Time to Lead: Lead the Way’.

Promoting Attendance and Reducing Chronic Absenteeism | Renewed Focus on School Connectedness and Student Engagement

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Watch the webinar recording here:

Transcripts can be found here.

The Padlet can be found here.

Description:

This session will explore the connection between students’ connectedness and engagement at school and their attendance. The session will begin with an overview of research that emphasized a need for strong school connections, especially for students who struggle with attendance. Hawthorne School District will discuss its renewed focus on strong connections to reduce chronic absenteeism.

Presenters:

Jenny Betz (she/they) is a Senior Program Associate with WestEd’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities team, providing professional development, coaching, and technical assistance to support inclusive, equitable, and student-centered learning environments. With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and education fields, Betz has supported hundreds of state, regional, and local education agencies in advancing school climate, social-emotional learning (SEL), equity, and educator wellness through strategies including culturally responsive practices, trauma-informed approaches, student leadership, community engagement, LGBTQ+ inclusion, bias-based bullying prevention, and effective data use. Betz also brings experience supporting district and school teams with strategic planning, implementation design, and improvement strategies that promote sustainability and alignment with local goals. Their work is grounded in collaboration, reflection, and a commitment to equity and continuous learning.

Rudy Salas is the Director of Pupil Personnel Services for the Hawthorne School District. With 26 years in education, he has served as a classroom teacher, English learner specialist, assistant principal, principal, and coordinator of curriculum and instruction. He is committed to strengthening student connectedness and improving attendance outcomes.

Stronger Connections | Our Stories of Strength: Using Photovoice to Explore Youth Psychological Strengths and Improve School Climate

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Watch the webinar recording here:

Transcripts can be found here.

View the webinar Padlet here.

Description:

Our Stories of Strength is a school-based program that is co-designed with youth to improve psychological well-being by integrating youth voice strategies with concepts and tools derived from positive psychology and narrative therapy. The program aims to illuminate and refine youths’ personal narratives of resilience and empowerment and to improve perceptions of school climate by building narratives around collective support and alliance. Using photovoice strategies, participants identify sources of personal competence, interpersonal support, and institutional support.

In this webinar, Our Stories of Strength adult researchers, educators, and youth collaborator-participants will describe key program activities and program benefits.

Presenters:

Dr. Meagan O’Malley is a Professor of School Psychology at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), where she prepares graduate students to apply evidence-based methods in psychoeducational assessment as well as academic and mental health interventions. Dr. O’Malley leads an active research program focused on school climate, school mental health, and psychoeducational assessment practices. A central aim of her work is to support educators and families in empowering youth from historically underrepresented groups, including students with disabilities.

 

Dr. Sruthi Swami is an Assistant Professor in the School Psychology M.A./Ed.S. program at Sacramento State University and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Her work focuses on the impact of racism and discrimination on the mental health and identity development of racially and ethnically minoritized youths and adolescents. Dr. Swami engages in applied research with local high school students on building resilience in the face of trauma.

 

Dr. Jeremy DeWayne Greene is a nationally certified school psychologist, professor of school psychology, and poet/hip-hop artist. Although residing within the Sacramento region, his familial roots remain firmly planted in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Utilizing a narrative approach, Dr. Greene has a passion for advocacy via the promotion and strengthening of voices often minimized by society at large. Thus, in his free time, Dr. Greene enjoys gathering and sharing the stories that he has heard along those winding roads…stories that also include his time living and working as a school psychologist in Shanghai, China (from 2017 to 2019).

 

David Wong is an educator with over 25 years of experience in English Language Arts instruction and a longstanding commitment to equity and access for historically underserved student populations. He has taught across California and Texas, bringing a statewide and cross-regional perspective to instructional leadership, program implementation, and student advocacy.

Grounded in a student-centered teaching philosophy that emphasizes voice, agency, and academic identity, David is dedicated to advancing equitable, engaging learning environments that promote academic confidence, college and career readiness, and long-term student success.

 

Hadia Ahmad is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she is pursuing a triple major in Legal Studies, Psychology, and Sociology. She was born and raised in Sacramento, California, and is a first-generation Pakistani American student. Her academic interests center on the intersections of law, mental health, and social inequality, with a focus on understanding how systemic factors impact diverse communities. When in high school, Hadia was a participant-researcher in the development of Our Stories of Strength, and is credited as an author on a study recently published in the Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community.

 

Tristan Puelicher is an Irish Indo-Fijian student in his senior year at California State University, Northridge. Pursuing a degree in Psychology, his studies and interests are centered on social change, political advocacy, and psychiatric healing from a psychological perspective. He began his involvement in the development of Our Stories of Strength as a participant-researcher in the tenth grade. In addition, he is credited as an author on a study recently published in the Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community. Post-university, Tristan intends to pursue a career rooted in community service, systemic change, and mental healing.

Stronger Connections Mini Session | Paper & Presence – A Guided Origami Session

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Watch the webinar recording here:

Transcripts can be found here.

Description:

Participants will be guided through a simple, hands-on activity they can do comfortably in their own space. This offers a chance to give the mind a break by focusing on a small, creative task, engaging the senses and creating a moment of grounding through active mindfulness.

Facilitator:

Natalie Echeverria is a Prevention Services Facilitator with the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, where she provides support to districts and schools to improve attendance, enhance school safety, and promote student mental health. Working within the School-Community Partnerships and Whole Child framework, she specializes in family outreach and parenting education. She facilitates professional development training for districts and schools, and through classes and community engagement, she raises awareness and shares evidence-based practices designed to strengthen relationships between families and schools.