Page 38 - The Edge - BTS 2019

STUDENTS GET ‘GAGGLED’ If there is other questionable content, such as talking about
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37 events with no intended date or time of action, Gaggle “will notify
the district via email to address these issues – and your policies take
over.”
phone. ere are challenges with social media – sending texts. Social Deeb said he doesn’t generally see repeat o enders at Marana.
media outlets allow for cyber-bullying.” He said he has been alerted in the middle of the night of drug and
Swaine explained how Gaggle works. Its safety management program marijuana use.
reviews student content on school-provided email and drive accounts. Swaine told of a Wisconsin girl who was writing a suicide note,
Actionable items are analyzed for inappropriate content through what which said, in e ect, that she hated herself and was going to
he called “machine-learning technology.” He touted Gaggle’s “anti- take pills so she wouldn’t wake up in the morning. e note was
pornography scanner” and its team of trained safety professionals. intercepted and within six minutes she was prevented from killing
Gaggle has been in the business of protecting kids for nearly 20 herself, Swaine said.
years, Swaine said. e company helps approximately 1,500 school “Once an item like this is agged by Gaggle, it is blocked and the
districts protect 4.8 million students nationwide. friend who was the intended recipient is spared from having to read
“We use machine learning tools to ag suspicious content,” he that,” Swaine said.
said. “It’s sent directly to a live person in real-time on our end. Once He told of another incident involving a high school girl who
the content is reviewed, it is either given the green light and passed was planning to hang herself at school. It was determined to be
straight through to the intended recipient or is stopped and sent to an imminent threat. Gaggle safety reps were able to contact the
our second tier of safety reps for further review. Director of Pupil Services at the school, who contacted local law
“Words like gun and kill are very strong and can be used in di erent enforcement. School o cials began searching the building.
ways. One kid is talking about a hunting trip and another kid is talking “ ey checked classrooms and entered a bathroom to nd the
about bringing a gun to school. ose are going to be handled very girl hanging,” Swaine said. “She was not successful. According to the
di erently,” Swaine said. EMT’s, she was within about 20 seconds of taking her own life.”
If a student’s text contains profanity, Gaggle takes over. “Gaggle can
handle this for you through an email note sent to the student - usually Michael Swaine can be reached at: (800) 288-7750, cell, (860) 810-
enough to curb the behavior,” Swaine said, adding that kids actually 6579 or michael@gaggle.net.
refer to this as “getting Gaggled.” John Deeb can be reached at: (520) 616-6400.

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38 THE EDGE | BACK TO SCHOOL 2019