In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Jeff Patterson,  the founder, and CEO of Gaggle, a company that has been supporting student safety and well-being for more than 20 years. Gaggle is also the pioneer in helping K-12 districts manage student safety on school-provided technology—which has helped hundreds of districts avoid tragedies and saves lives.

On Dec. 15, 2021, Gaggle was named the winner of the “Keeping Kids Safe Award” at the 2021 Supes’ Choice Awards, hosted by the Institute for Education Innovation.

Some Questions I Ask:

• How did you get your start? (1:30)
• How does the process work when you partner with a district? What's the first thing that happens? And how do you end up ultimately supporting those students? Could you share the specifics? (4:05)
• What are some of your takeaways about social-emotional learning (SEL) and student safety in the pandemic? (5:22)
• Can you share any examples of situations where you've been able to help prevent suicide successfully with the help of Gaggle? (6:51)
• How do you navigate around the scrutinies and critics—both personally and professionally? (11:06)
• What's your balance of standing up for what you believe in and acknowledging concerns through the media? (12:51)
• What strategies would you recommend for other people who are facing backlash within their organization in some way or another? (15:13)
• How do you suggest others adopt and cultivate their own audience and voice in the edtech space? Any strategies you would recommend? (16:24)
• What’s next for Gaggle? (18:22)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Jeff’s story and how Gaggle came to be (1:50)
• Gaggle’s processes when engaging with school districts (4:14)
• Student suicide data  (5:53)
• [SUICIDE TRIGGER WARNING] Gaggle’s role in helping prevent suicide (7:21)
• Strategies for embracing critics’ scrutinies to help more students (11:32)
• Student privacy vs. student safety and other Gaggle practices (13:03)
• Gaggle leadership’s advice for navigating conflict (15:29)
• Strategies and recommendation for cultivating audiences and developing a voice in edtech (16:33)
• New programs and the future of Gaggle (18:40)

Quotes:
“Preventing suicides … is hugely important. There were about 130,000 references to students who are depressed or self-harming, cutting themselves. And those kids cannot mature to fully functioning adults. If they're going through so much trauma, they can't learn in school. They can't develop the social skills they need, the relationships they need. I call those “lifetimes lost.” What I want to see is preventing “lifetimes lost” by knowing which kids need the help and support so we can help them deal with what's going on in their own heads.”

“Humility shows vulnerability. You know, being curious, right? [We have] a leadership mantra within my own company that we try to live by when someone comes at us with some issue that we just want to understand. One of our core values is ‘Listen more than you talk.’ I think I'm gonna expand that to say ‘Ask great questions.’”

“I've really focused on helping people find jobs, understanding the industry. And then I try to share some sort of life lessons that I've had along the way. But I try to put the focus on others, not myself and my needs.”

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Connect with Jeff Patterson:
Gaggle Website
Jeff Patterson's LinkedIn

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