This document provides resources and suggestions for creating a professional learning community (PLC) for scholastic journalism teachers and advisers. It recommends connecting with local, regional, and national journalism education organizations. Some key national organizations mentioned are the Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and Quill and Scroll Society. The document also lists additional resources like state journalism teacher associations, the Student Press Law Center, and websites with lesson plans and teaching materials.

1. Creating your own PLC
Ideas, suggestions
and resources for
getting the support
you need as a
scholastic journalism
teacher/adviser

2. What’s Your Gig?
•Newspaper? Yearbook?
Online? Broadcast? All
four?
•Regardless of your
actual assignment, it’s
EASY to just be a lone
ranger … don’t let
yourself become isolated
•So, how do you avoid
the Lone Ranger
syndrome?

3. Connecting locally
•Some areas in the U.S.
(Kansas City, for example)
have a local journalism
education support group
•Not in your area? Start
one!
• Facebook groups, etc.
• Foothill Advisers
Group
•Your local newspaper

4. Connecting regionally
•State JEA affiliates
(JEANC, for example)
•Regional associations
(SIPA, for example)
•State conventions (state
convention is every other
year in Sacramento;
coming this October)

5. Connecting nationally
•National Scholastic
Press Association:
studentpress.org
•Critiques
•Pacemaker Award
•National Stories/Designs/Photos/
Cartoons of the Year
•Co-sponsor of JEA/NSPA National
High School Journalism
Conventions (San Antonio in Nov.,
San Francisco in the spring)
•Best of the High School Press

6. A national PLC
•Mark Newton of suburban
Denver created the concept
•Jill Chittum is the NJPLC
chair for JEA … information
on jea.org
•Teachers/advisers are
meeting at national
conventions
•Standards are being
tweaked to match needs of
different teachers in
different states

7. More organizations/resources
•Journalism Education
Association:
jea.org
•Co-sponsor of the JEA/NSPA National High
School Journalism Conventions
•Conducts write-off contests at national
conventions
•CJE/MJE certification
•Links to state organizations (JEANC)
•State/regional conventions and workshops
(by state JEAs)
•Publishes C:JET
•State and national high school journalist of
the year contest (with scholarships available)
•Summer workshops for advisers
•The Listserve! (Now hosted at Kansas State)

8. Another key organization
•Columbia Scholastic Press
Association:
columbia.edu/cu/cspa
•Sponsor of annual regional fall and
national spring conventions at Columbia
University in New York City
•Gold/Silver Crown Awards
•Gold Circle individual awards for a
HUGE variety of newspaper/yearbook/
Web categories
•Annual critique
•Gold Key Award and other awards for
distinguished advisers
•Summer workshops

9. Still more organizations
•Quill and Scroll Society:
uiowa.edu/~quill-sc/
•Annual critique, including the
George H. Gallup Award
•Annual individual mail-in writing
contests (Quill and Scroll Writing
and Photography Awards), with
winners eligible for scholarship
consideration
•Charters available for a Q&S
chapter at your school
•Magazine for advisers

10. Pros reaching out
•American Society of News
Editors:
hsj.org
•Lesson plans
•Free online hosting is GOING AWAY
•Inexpensive source of wire content
(one-time fee)
•Links to scholastic press groups
•Scholarships and teacher training
(ASNE Institutes in the summer)

11. More pros reaching out
•Dow Jones
Newspaper Fund:
newspaperfund.org
•Sponsors the National High School
Journalism Teacher of the Year
•Honors Special Recognition and
Distinguished Advisers each year
•Publishes “Adviser Update,” a
quarterly tabloid focused on the
advising of high school newspapers
•Lots of links to summer workshops,
scholarships, etc.

12. More professional help
•The Poynter Institute:
poynter.org
•Romenesko … now independent
(stay very up to date with industry
issues!)
•Tons of online resources for
teaching journalistic writing/editing/
etc.
•Roy Peter Clark, Chip Scanlan and
lots of other really terrific experts
•Webinars
•Professional seminars
•Links to PDFs of professional
newspaper pages, etc.

13. Some cool state sites
•Virginia Association of
Journalism Teachers and
Advisers: vajta.org
•Florida: fspa.org
•Texas Association of
Journalism Educators: taje.org
•The Texas site, in particular, is
chock-a-block full of resources and
lessons that you don’t have to
create for yourself

14. A few more random resources
•Newspaper Association of America
Foundation (now part of the American
Press Institute; publishing grants):
•Naafoundation.org
•J-Ideas (defunct, but still accessible):
•jideas.org
•Kent State University, News Ohio
(lesson plans):
•newsohio.kent.edu
•Society of Professional Journalists:
•Spj.org
•American Copy Editors Association
(ACES): copydesk.org

15. When the lawyers start calling
•Check with the
Student Press Law
Center (
www.splc.org) for
any statutory
protection for
student journalists
in your state
•Frank LoMonte is
now your friend!

16. Thanks, and have a great year!
•Karl Grubaugh
•Granite Bay (Calif.) High
•1 Grizzly Way
•Granite Bay, CA 95746
•Granitebayhigh.org (click departments>
social studies>karl grubaugh)
•916-786-8676, x5811
•530-295-7007 cell
•kgrubaugh@rjuhsd.us
•kgrubaugh@att.net