Darien Public Schools Readies Roll Out Of Anonymous Alerts Software

DARIEN, CT — Darien Public Schools will roll out Anonymous Alerts beginning at 7 a.m. on March 25.

The software and app, which will be available to Darien High School and Middlesex Middle School students initially, will allow the school community to anonymously submit reports and tips to school administrators on issues related to safety.

There can be one-way or two-way anonymous encrypted communications between submitters and district administration. Users have the option to remain anonymous or reveal their identity when submitting a report.

"The software is just another way to help us provide safe welcoming learning environments in our schools by providing our middle and high school students with a confidential tool for reporting incidents of suicidal ideation, bullying and school safety," Superintendent of Darien Public Schools Dr. Alan Addley told Patch.

Informational sessions on how to use the app responsibly and effectively for middle school parents were held last week, and a session for high school parents was slated for Monday morning, according to Addley. Student informational sessions will occur this week.

In a presentation to the Darien Board of Education last July, Gregory Bender, a Stamford resident and founder of Anonymous Alerts, said the service also has social-emotional learning tools for students, a list of emergency numbers for calling or texting, incident management for 24/7 administrator monitoring, and other helpful features like the ability for the district to chart and keep track of the kinds of reports coming in.

"We strongly encourage and believe the best way to address and report concerns that our students face in school is in person with a trusting adult (teacher, coach, school administrator, psychologist or counselor). However, sometimes students may want to communicate anonymously," Addley noted in a letter to families at the beginning of March.

To start, the Anonymous Alerts app will be monitored Monday through Friday on days when school is in session from 7 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and should only be used for serious matters, Addley said.

The hours of reporting are limited to the school day until the staff can assess the app’s usage and address any operational issues.

Anonymous Alerts provides its services to 8,000-plus schools and has a presence in North America, Asia, Africa and Australia. Locally, Greenwich High School and Norwalk Public Schools use the service.

For more information on Anonymous Alerts in Darien Public Schools, click here.