Ken Blackstone

US Department of Labor

Schools serve society as a whole and have an obligation to keep the public informed as to their progress, goals, and policies. The schools’ success depends on the support of the community. Citizens of the community depend on the schools’ administrations to keep them informed and engaged. This unique relationship creates an environment that requires strong people to serve as liaisons between the schools and their constituents.

Richland School District 2 (RD2) is proud to have Ken Blackstone, APR, as its coordinator of public information. Blackstone is a dedicated professional who has been instrumental in the development of the district’s communication efforts. Recently, Blackstone became an accredited member of the public relations profession by successfully completing a comprehensive examination governed by the Universal Accreditation Board.

Ken Blackstone receives his pin from NSPRA president Gay Coleman. According to the National School Public Relations Association and the Public Relations Society of America, Blackstone is one of only two current school public relations practitioners in the state who have earned this accredited status. There are only 52 active accredited practitioners in the entire state of SC, and only about 4,300 throughout the world. Blackstone’s accreditation enhances his ability to serve the district and its constituents.

He says the APR process “showed me there is a real science to public relations, which often times is pejoratively referred to as fluff or spin, and that not just anybody can do it. It really is (or should be) a management function that is part of the entire communication plan and is mutually beneficial to the organization and its publics.” He said the process, which took a little over a year to complete, is similar to the teacher’s National Board Certification in many ways, but maybe not as rigorous.

Blackstone’s commitment to his profession and efforts to continually improve communications for the district recently earned him the Superintendent Hefner’s annual “On the Cutting Edge” Visionary Award.

According to Blackstone, “Technology offers almost unlimited potential for new, innovative and, most importantly, useful ways in which we can communicate with our publics. It’s amazing to think how far we’ve come in the past 12 years! Fortunately, I’m sort of a techno–geek, so I love all the new and emerging tools, not just for their gadgetry, but for their utility in helping us communicate more effectively.”

Blackstone’s recent award and accreditation are testaments to his passion for his job. He says, “I love that every day is usually a little different. I wasn’t cut out to work on an assembly line, or do a repetitive task every day. I work with great people, and a great boss, Dr. Julia Boyd, director of community relations, who allows me the freedom to ‘think outside the box.’ Richland Two is an awesome place to work. The professionalism, encouragement and support in this district would be envied by any organization, public or private.”