High School Journalism matters

No decision has been made. However, change could be forthcoming, unless you stand up in support of a longtime tradition with the Drexel Star and Drexel R-IV.
Readers may have noticed the school newspaper, the Bobcat Beat, has not been in the paper so far this school year. This week would have included the third edition, but it doesn’t. The Drexel Star has received none. The school did not notify the Drexel Star that they had decided to cut back production of the Bobcat Beat either. More importantly, the students in the high school have not even begun the task of researching and writing news, editorializing, photo journalizing, or the layout and design of the Bobcat Beat.
Financial decisions are being made in schools across the state. We understand that. From a local aspect, evidently the Bobcat Beat is a cut the school is preparing to make, either in it’s entirely or by drastically reducing the number of editions they produce each year. In email correspondences with the current journalism teacher, Melissa Busch, she stated that the school may approve four editions. She further indicated that that number was for more than originally planned, which was none. Compared to eighteen per school year, that reflects a huge cut in journalism production. Below are the astonishing findings by the Newspaper Association of America in support of journalism and student newspapers and yearbooks and the adverse affects found in their studies.
High school journalism is under fire across the United States as educators face budget cuts and pressure to improve scores on tests that are intended to measure the performances of students and their teachers. However, new research commissioned by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation suggests that if student achievement is the goal, then schools would be well-served if they offer students the opportunity to work on high school newspapers and yearbooks.
These findings are the result of new research conducted in 2008 for the Newspaper
Association of America Foundation by Jack Dvorak, Ph.D.,...
Read the complete story in the October 1st edition.