Somewhere between tactics and strategy lies the bulk of the School PR day, especially in a singleton department. On the best days it is sharing good news about public schools and trumpeting the success of our teachers and students. On the other days it seems we are only putting out fires. Holding our National School PR Association 2016 seminar in Chicago provides an accessible metaphor in this regard, but do you know the rest of the story? And where does School PR fit it in the tale of the Great Chicago Fire?
The October 8, 1871 fire in Chicago was devastating, killing about 300 people, destroying 17,500 buildings and leveling more than three square miles of property. Meanwhile, on that same fateful day, just 250 miles to the north a firestorm swept through Peshtigo, Wisconsin. It’s a history lesson every Wisconsin 4th grader learns. And not just because it provides a comparison with our neighboring state to the south. We use other metrics for that (see Fig. 1).
But let’s compare anyway, shall we? The Peshtigo fire was the most deadly in American history. Between 1,200 and 2,500 people perished. So few locals survived that identifying and accounting for the lost was all but impossible. As noted above, Chicago’s fire destroyed three square miles. The Peshtigo fire claimed over 1,875 square miles - fueled by northwoods timber.
Yet over a century later, most people outside the Dairy State have only heard the tale of the Great Chicago Fire, the lesser conflagration. Putting on our School PR goggles, it’s easy to see why. Raise your hands if you’ve experienced an issue in your schools that was inflamed by poor or inaccurate reporting? Mike Ahern, a writer for the Chicago Republican at the time, reported that Catherine O’Leary’s cow started the fire, causing “a hot time in the old town” that night. He later admitted he fabricated the story about the cow and Mrs. O’Leary was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Chicago City Council (ahem, in 1997).
Yet over a century later, most people outside the Dairy State have only heard the tale of the Great Chicago Fire, the lesser conflagration. Putting on our School PR goggles, it’s easy to see why. Raise your hands if you’ve experienced an issue in your schools that was inflamed by poor or inaccurate reporting? Mike Ahern, a writer for the Chicago Republican at the time, reported that Catherine O’Leary’s cow started the fire, causing “a hot time in the old town” that night. He later admitted he fabricated the story about the cow and Mrs. O’Leary was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Chicago City Council (ahem, in 1997).
Side note: I sincerely hope your most challenging School PR issue never escalates to the point where a folk song is written and martial law is declared.
As a participant in the New Professionals Workshop Saturday and Sunday here at the NSPRA seminar, I’m reminded that School PR problems can be issues of scale. Our group of 33 new School PR pros brings diverse personal and professional backgrounds to the field. We are media members, teachers, recent college grads and interns, public servants, and private PR practitioners. At my table the states of NY, WI, TX, SC, CA, WA, and MN were represented. The complexities of our roles are absolutely impacted by the legislative and school funding environments of our home states, yet we operate by the same principles and all in the service of our kids.
The Chicago fire is seared into the collective national consciousness because it affected many people, even though the same-day Peshtigo fire was far more devastating. The student discipline issue du jour in your nearby elementary school might be the height of a serious safety concern, but the school lunch menu impacts a majority of kids in your district. One may be more serious to those most closely affected, but which is the bigger fire?
The Chicago fire is seared into the collective national consciousness because it affected many people, even though the same-day Peshtigo fire was far more devastating. The student discipline issue du jour in your nearby elementary school might be the height of a serious safety concern, but the school lunch menu impacts a majority of kids in your district. One may be more serious to those most closely affected, but which is the bigger fire?