Roll Call is back! Hosts Brian Murray and Josh Symonds sit down with Becky Donovan, Risk Management Consultant at AJ Gallagher, whose work with schools across North America is transforming how educators think about risk, relationships, and readiness.

Becky's refreshing approach puts people first — she believes effective risk management begins with empathy, communication, and proactive culture. Together, the trio explore how schools can prepare for crises, update outdated policies, manage reputational threats, and navigate emerging risks like AI use, cyber safety, and student data privacy.

From on-the-ground stories of real incidents to reflections on leadership, trust, and humanity in the face of crisis, this episode is an engaging look into how schools can move from reactive to proactive risk prevention — and why "Don't Hesitate, Delegate" should be the new mantra for every educator.

Show notes:

00:00 - Introduction to Becky Donovan

01:00 - Human-First Response to Crisis

03:10 - Why Relationships Matter in Risk Management

06:10 - The Hidden Gaps in School Risk Planning

08:30 - Updating Codes of Conduct (and Why It Matters)

10:30 - Specialized Codes for Specialized Contexts

14:00 - Making Risk "Manageable" for Teachers

15:30 - Brian's Field Trip Story and Lessons Learned

20:00 - When the Unexpected Happens

25:00 - AI, Cybersecurity, and Data Privacy in Schools

30:00 - Blanket Permissions vs. Informed Consent

34:00 - Emerging Risks for Schools

36:00 - Social Media, Reputation & Crisis Response

40:00 - Data, Consent, and Collaboration

Connect with Becky Donovan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmwithbecky/

Aj Gallagher: https://www.ajg.com/

This episode is sponsored by REACH Boarding

This episode is sponsored by REACH Boarding, an award-winning, feature-rich boarding school management tool used by over 400 schools in five continents to manage risk, increase efficiency, and improve communication in boarding school management.

To learn more about REACH Boarding, its features and integrations, visit www.reachboarding.com

Empowering the Future of Independent Education & Boarding School Management

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Roll Call, don't forget to share your favorite episodes with your colleagues on social media to help us spread the word and help more education professionals stay at the forefront of independent education and boarding school management techniques to empower the future of the education environment.

RC026 - The Evolution of the Boarding Experience with Keith Driscoll

"The boarding experience has changed...We are not going to make you into something, but you have the opportunity to make yourself into something." - Keith Driscoll

"Boarding is not a separate program. It is an integrated part of the school." - Keith Driscoll

This week on the Roll Call Podcast:

• Boarding at SMUS
• The evolution of the boarding experience
• Hiring the right people
• The triple threat
• Creative compensation

Resources Mentioned:

• St. Michaels University School: https://www.smus.ca/

This episode is sponsored by REACH Boarding

This episode is sponsored by REACH Boarding, an award-winning, feature-rich boarding school management tool used by over 400 schools in five continents to manage risk, increase efficiency, and improve communication in boarding school management.

To learn more about REACH Boarding, its features and integrations, visit www.reachboarding.com

Empowering the Future of Independent Education & Boarding School Management

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Roll Call with Brian Murray and Josh Simons, the show helping education professionals stay at the forefront of global education trends. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave your honest review.

Don't forget to share your favorite episodes with your colleagues on social media to help us spread the word and help more education professionals stay at the forefront of independent education and boarding school management techniques to empower the future of the education environment.

RC025 - Restorative Practices in Education with Bridget Johnson

"We want everyone to come out of the situation feeling like they have been heard, respected and supported in being their best self." - Bridget Johnson

"Using restorative practices does not mean there are no consequences for misbehaviour...its about restoring the harm that was done." - Bridget Johnson

This week on the Roll Call Podcast:

• Bridget's path to working in Education
• Restorative Practice
• It takes work and vulnerability
• Being authentic
• Fair process
• Moving towards managing relationships, not discipline.

Resources Mentioned:

• Bridget - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/
• https://deansroundtable.org
• https://www.iirp.edu/

This episode is sponsored by REACH Boarding

This episode is sponsored by REACH Boarding, an award-winning, feature-rich boarding school management tool used by over 400 schools in five continents to manage risk, increase efficiency, and improve communication in boarding school management.

To learn more about REACH Boarding, its features and integrations, visit www.reachboarding.com

Empowering the Future of Independent Education & Boarding School Management

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Roll Call with Brian Murray and Josh Simons, the show helping education professionals stay at the forefront of global education trends. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave your honest review.

Don't forget to share your favorite episodes with your colleagues on social media to help us spread the word and help more education professionals stay at the forefront of independent education and boarding school management techniques to empower the future of the education environment.

RC021 Connecting With The Community Inside And Out Of The Classroom with Dr. Chris Thurber

"One thing that can help schools recover would be the intentional daily weaving in of Social-emotional curricula to endow kids with skills they need..." - Dr. Chris Thurber

"It's really important that in the well-intentioned enthusiastic effort to get kids caught up academically that we not eclipse some of the non-structured free time that kids have during the school day to interact with one another..." - Dr. Chris Thurber

This week on the Roll Call Podcast:

• Dr. Chris' background
• Students social and emotional wellbeing coming back to school
• Are students behind academically?
• Social-emotional learning
• Enlisting the help of parents
• Lessons from online learning
• Are schools seeing a higher need for student care?
• Online access to mental health professionals
• Getting the school back on track

Resources Mentioned:

• Phillips Exeter Academy
• Dr. Chris' Book: The Unlikely Art of Parental Pressure

This episode is sponsored by REACH Boarding

This episode is sponsored by REACH Boarding, an award-winning, feature-rich boarding school management tool used by over 400 schools in five continents to manage risk, increase efficiency, and improve communication in boarding school management.

To learn more about REACH Boarding, its features and integrations, visit www.reachboarding.com

Empowering the Future of Independent Education & Boarding School Management

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Roll Call with Brian Murray and Josh Simons, the show helping education professionals stay at the forefront of global education trends. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave your honest review.

Don't forget to share your favorite episodes with your colleagues on social media to help us spread the word and help more education professionals stay at the forefront of independent education and boarding school management techniques to empower the future of the education environment.