National School Safety Advocate Max Schachter Speaks at College
November 19, 2024
Father of son murdered in the Parkland School Shooting in 2018 is Founder and Executive Director of Safe Schools for Alex
The Rensselaer County Sheriff's office is hosting a special event focused on school safety with Max Schachter, founder and executive director of Safe Schools for Alex, at Hudson Valley Community College’s Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium on Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 8 a.m. to noon.
Schachter’s son, Alex, is one of the 17 victims murdered in the Parkland School shooting on Valentine’s Day in 2018. Following that tragedy, he has dedicated himself to sharing school safety best practices and resources with students, parents, school districts and law enforcement agencies so that all children can learn in a safe environment.
He has advocated for policy change at the highest levels of the United States government. He has worked alongside members of Congress, leaders of all major federal agencies and presidents of the United States to make schools safer. In August 2018, he advocated for the creation of a federal agency to house national school safety best practices. In June 2019, his vision became a reality when President Trump created the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse at SchoolSafety.gov. In July 2022, he attended the White House ceremony where President Biden announced the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which made SchoolSafety.gov permanent and law.
Schachter has also worked to improve the safety and security of Florida’s 2.4 million students through his appointment to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School Public Safety Commission. The MSD commission was tasked with leading the statewide investigation into the Parkland school shooting and developing recommendations to protect Florida’s children.
Schachter has also advised the Federal Bureau of Investigation Behavioral Threat Assessment Center, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office on threat assessment policies and procedures. He is a member of the National Sheriffs’ Association School Safety and Security Committee and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team. In June 2019, he was awarded the U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General Citizen Volunteer Service Award by Attorney General William Barr.
Schachter has been interviewed by many local and national media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS and Dr. Phil. He has given keynote presentations to many school districts, law enforcement organizations, and local, state, and federal agencies.