Amplifying Student Voices

How amazingly appropriate that the June issue of School Administrator is littered with the word “voice” and the importance of listening to student voices in all aspects of our daily professional endeavors. Very timely indeed!
LARRY LOVEL
SUPERINTENDENT,
TRICO COMMUNITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 176
CAMPBELL HILL, ILL.


Scholastic Journalism’s Merits

Thank you for bringing attention to the rich learning experience student media provides in your June issue about amplifying student voices. In particular, "Four Steps Toward a High-Caliber Journalism Program" offers a fantastic framework for every school system — after all, don't we all want every program in our schools to be high-caliber?

The examples of pandemic coverage by student publications featured in this issue demonstrate the passion and commitment of students to honing their craft and serving their communities even in the most challenging circumstances.

Especially now, student publications provide more than a platform for expression — they serve as an essential connection to the student body, maintaining and enhancing school culture in times of distance learning and uncertainty. We may not be able to predict much about the 2020-21 school year, but we can be sure student journalists will use the skills they learn to tell the stories of their school, and they're likely to do so in a variety of innovative, engaging ways. Support from administrators helps that authentic learning experience have the widest possible reach. SARAH NICHOLS
PRESIDENT, JOURNALISM EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
PUBLICATIONS ADVISER,
WHITNEY HIGH SCHOOL,
ROCKLIN, CALIF.
 
Cultural Responsiveness 

Re “Helping a Board Become Culturally Responsive” (February 2020): 

I want to thank Paul Coakley for sharing his leadership experiences around creating opportunities for school board members to become more culturally responsive. In his article, he mentions questions that as a superintendent he uses with board members to help them focus on their “equity lens” during conversations and discussions. 

We have begun to engage in equity conversations in my school district in central Texas, and I know we would benefit from a similar approach to what Coakley described. As an area superintendent, I am partnering with a colleague to lead these conversations with our district’s cabinet. 

LAUREN ARTERBURY
AREA SUPERINTENDENT
LEANDER INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT,