Gagging students but not requiring masks
by Jan Ewell, MJE Hannah Watters, 15, suspended for five days, Wed. Aug. 5, for tweeting pictures of mostly maskless students in a crowded hallway at North Paulding High in Dallas, Ga, about an hour outside of Atlanta, is free to return to school Monday, Aug. 10. Friday, Aug. 7, she tweeted, “My school called…
Read MoreBasic lessons for teachers to use during online learning
by Lori Keekley, MJE Several members of the Scholastic Press Rights Committee developed some lessons for advisers to use with their journalism students. The lessons are intended to be asynchronous basic introductions. The goal is to introduce students to the content and provide resources they then can examine further. The lessons include information on the…
Read MoreResources for building lessons and ethics guidelines
Use these short resources to build lessons, ethics guidelines Forum status of student mediaIf you’re developing a new policy, the Scholastic Press Rights Committee recommends using language something like this: [Name of publication] is a designated public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions without prior review from school officials. Prior review…
Read MoreMaking a Difference stories
The story dispelled rumors, confirmed facts by Hillary deVoss A teacher’s death can send shockwaves throughout a school community, leading to panic, confusion and rumors. To student journalists at duPont Manual High School in Louisville, Ky., a beloved teacher’s unexpected death was a call for them to respond to a crisis – and do so…
Read MoreUpgrade in Virginia student publication policy downgrades student free expression
by John Bowen, MJE High school journalists in Virginia’s Frederick County recently had their student publications policies upgraded by the school board, the Student Press Law Center reported. Student journalists say they don’t think much of the changes. “The newspaper was already censored multiple times last year, and the staff has dwindled from about 30 students a year…
Read MoreLatest podcast of Conversations at the Schoolhouse Gate focuses on hate speech
by Kristin Taylor Tripp Robbins just hosted the latest episode of Conversations at the Schoolhouse Gate (if you have subscribed to it, you already know this!). I recommend checking it out. You can listen directly from your laptop at the podcast website or subscribe via Apple podcasts or Stitcher to download it to your phone. It’s a…
Read MoreResources for working on student free press legislation
For Constitution Day, we created a resource for those working on state student free expression legislation. This resource can take stakeholders through the stages of the process. We hope this blossoms into a robust resource area. Samples are included for many items, but please remember, these are samples of what others have done. It is…
Read MoreJournalism Teachers: Five steps for a great start to the school year
The typical to-do list of journalism teachers during the back to school season often includes setting up the newsroom, prepping lessons, attending professional development days and coordinating with editors and staffers. Whether that list lives in a mobile app, Google Doc or pretty new notebook, it’s usually a long one. But adding these five things…
Read MoreSeems like you never know until it is too late
by Candace Bowen, MJE Your principal is a good one who answers questions for your news staff and encourages your yearbook staff to tell what really happened this year. Even Twitter and Instagram have not been a problem for your journalism students. Sure, you and your staff share stories with your principal when they cover…
Read MoreWhat to tell an administrator who seeks prior review
The Porn-worker and Bear Creek High School by Jan Ewell, MJE The district administration of the Lodi Unified School District demanded prior review of a story the paper was writing about an 18-year old student, estranged from her parents, who was working in the porn industry while finishing her senior year. The adviser, Cathi Duffel, and her…
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