GOOD TROUBLE - About Us

About Us

Our Backstory

At the 2023 MN Legislature, Jose Perez and Julian Spencer testified on the importance of preventing a damaging teacher licensure bill from passing. The bill would take away pathways to job security and career advancement for teachers in Minnesota. Teachers of color will be disproportionately impacted. Their impassioned testimonies on the real issues that mattered to them, and other youth in attendance, delayed the vote by several hours. Unfortunately, the bill passed by 1 vote, but legislators were swayed to preserve a tier 2 pathway for educators enrolled in a teacher preparation program or educators seeking to teach outside of their content area or scope.

This bittersweet experience forged a new path for Jose and Julian to focus on GOOD TROUBLE that challenges the status quo and reclaims education for youth who have faced adversity.

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Meet the Founders

JOSE PEREZ

Co-Founder, Chief Troublemaker

Prior to GOOD TROUBLE, Jose Perez was a founding executive, policy director and board member of Bridgemakers, a youth-led Minnesota nonprofit. His struggles with conventional education inspired his passion for transforming schooling. An English learner with dyslexia, Jose failed the first and ninth grades and has justice system experience. He’s the son of a father deported to El Salvador when he was one and raised by a single mother, a Guatemalan immigrant.
Jose also launched and co-led Bridgemakers’ Transforming Schools to Transform Lives initiative. He has testified five times against closing teacher licensure pathways at the Minnesota Legislature. Jose has presented at several national conferences, including Reclaiming Youth at Risk, Education Reimagined, Annie E. Casey Foundation and Bush Foundation. An R&B artist and St. Paul native, he’s a graduate of the High School for Recording Arts in St. Paul.

JULIAN SPENCER

Co-Founder, Movement Lead

Prior to GOOD TROUBLE, Julian co-led the Transforming Schools to Transform Lives initiative as policy coordinator at Bridgemakers. His passion for disrupting the school to prison pipeline comes from facing adversity early. Julian’s five years of troublemaking and justice system involvement began as a 6th-grader when he was expelled from school. Becoming a father at 16 sparked his desire to help other youth avoid similar struggles.
Julian also serves on Hennepin County’s Youth Advisory Board and co-chairs Youthprise’s Policy fellowship. He’s presented at 5 conferences, including the Aspen Institute, Reclaiming Youth at Risk and High Tech High Graduate School of Education and testified twice at the Minnesota Legislature. Julian is a graduate of North High School in Minneapolis and the proud father of a three-year-old daughter.