By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member
• April 7, 2016
Scholastic journalism in Illinois scored a victory on April 6 as House Bill 5902, the Speech Rights of Student Journalists Act, was passed by the bipartisan Judiciary-Civil Committee by a vote of 11-0.
The...
The journey to overturn the power of Illinois public school administrators to interfere with responsible and ethical student journalism has begun, thanks to an energetic young state representative and the organizing efforts of IJEA and its allies.
That's what Randy Swikle learned during his 25 years at Johnsburg High School. Sure, free speech is risky, but when a school builds a culture of trust, students show time and again that they'll live up to the responsibilities they're given.
Thanks to their time in student media, many young people learn firsthand the true power of free expression: how to communicate with strength, passion and logical rigor.
On the first day of school the new principal of Woodrow Wilson High in Washington, D.C., instituted a policy of prior review for the school newspaper. The students pushed back, and the result was heartening for all who care about a free and responsible student press.
The Bradley-Bourbonnais teacher (and IJEA member) was a national winner in the 1 For All First Amendment Challenge, which recognized inventive approaches to teaching the five foundational freedoms of American democracy.
