Public Relations

Spring 2021
Reflection

Dr. Brown does a great job teaching her classes, so they can be easily applied to the real world.
Public Relations was no different. I took this class to better my understanding of how public
relations would serve me, as principal, in a public school setting. Watching the news, educators
cannot avoid seeing schools in crisis. Whether it be a school shooting, an inappropriate
relationship between a teacher and student, bomb threats, natural disasters, etc., schools cannot
always avoid these negative situations. The way in which an administrator handles them is the
real test. I found the Crisis Dos and Dont’s assignment especially helpful. It put the textbook
chapter in an easy-to-follow, outline format. If crisis strikes, I can quickly review the steps that
need to be taken to get in front of it. I feel this lesson will aid in organizational and operational
management of my school.

In class, I also wrote a negative press release. This was the first time in my academic career I had
even thought about having to write a press release for a school. I chose to write mine on a Covid-
19 outbreak that was causing a school to close and move to virtual learning. It was a topic that hit
close to home, as I watched when the schools in my community closed in 2020. It has become
political, so therefore, a touchy subject. As a school leader, it would be my responsibility to have
a virtual curriculum set up across grade levels. It would be my responsibility to work closely
with staff and school families.

Public Relations also allowed me to focus on my other passion—my dog rescue. I was able to
create a public relations plan for my rescue, which helped me see the future of my business.

This class allowed me to think outside the box as a principal and business owner. I was able to
envision what problems could arise and how I could handle them timely and appropriately.