Like many other professionals, school communicators have long accepted systemic injustice and racial inequity in our work and relegated those ideals to a belief that that’s just the way things are. In our personal lives we may have taken up the charge of change and advocacy, but in our professional lives we have been told to “tread lightly” to protect ourselves and our organization. We’ve been conditioned not to be too political, not to upset too many people, not to speak on things that aren’t our concern. We have been conditioned in whiteness.

As a result, we have stayed out of the way and avoided trouble. Yet, at the same time we’ve watched achievement gaps grow wider, witnessed trust in public education continuing to erode, and seen students not recognized for who they are or reflected in their learning. We’ve talked about some of these issues, but not taken action as a collective. Too often our silence has filled the void, and we can no longer stand idle.

As communicators, we have a duty and responsibility to stand up and speak out—and we are uniquely positioned to do so. We must be willing to get in what Georgia Congressman John Lewis called “good, necessary trouble” when we see something wrong, unfair, or unjust. Before Congressman Lewis passed away, he urged all of us to pick up the mantle in the movement for justice. Now is the time to act.

Intro to Good Trouble PR
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020
2-4 p.m.

This PD isn’t for the faint of heart. In fact, it’s not really PD at all. It’s a commitment, a way of life. If you’re okay with the status quo in your work and see it as separate from who you are as a person, you should probably stay at home. (Technically, everyone will be at home because, you know, COVID.)

But that doesn’t look like you. You look like a bold, courageous leader ready to make real and lasting change for your students and school district. You look like someone who needs a community of support as they turn thought into action when it comes to equity and educational justice. You look like you are called to a higher purpose and see your work as more than a paycheck.

If that’s true, then signing up for this PD is your first act of good, necessary trouble in your quest to stand up and speak out for justice. From there, you can opt to continue your journey and join a community of like minded school communications professionals as part of Good Trouble PR.

Good Trouble PR purpose:
In the model of Good Trouble Principals, (http://goodtroubleprincipals.com/) we will use the power of our positions in an effort to affect real and meaningful change for our schools, students and communities. We will continue to seek ongoing professional development on equity, anti-racism and abolitionism to reshape our worldview and ensure we are attuned to impacts of our work. We will hold ourselves and one another accountable. Where we see systemic inequity or racial injustice, we will continuously strive to get in good, necessary trouble.