New Stevenson High newspaper guidelines nearly set

Guidelines designed to give Stevenson High School student newspaper staffers clear expectations for their work are nearly complete, a school official said Friday.

The rules - first mentioned in public at a December school board meeting - will describe expectations for hitting deadlines, accuracy, time management and production rates, Assistant Principal John Carter said.

They'll also include job descriptions for the various Statesman posts, including editor-in-chief, managing editor and reporter, Carter said.

Intangible factors such as a student's ability to take initiative, handle stress, seek help when needed and follow directions will be included, too.

"This is what we want students to learn," Carter said.

School officials hope the guidelines will prevent the types of disputes between Statesman staffers and administrators that led to articles being pulled from the November and December issues. Seven students, including the editor-in-chief and managing editor, eventually quit the Statesman and transferred out of the journalism class.

Once finalized, the rules will be effective immediately, he said.

Carter has been developing the guidelines with Communication Arts Director Joe Flanagan, and journalism teachers Lisa Lukens and Matt Lockowitz. Students in the class that produces the Statesman have been reviewing drafts of the guidelines and sharing their impressions, he said.

At least three drafts have been written so far, Carter said. He believes the team now is "pretty close" to the final draft.

"I think the process has been a very positive one," he said. "It has helped all of us come to a consensus on the important learning outcomes for the course."

The Statesman is produced by a journalism class and is not considered an extracurricular activity. Because so many staffers quit the paper in January, the school will ask students in lower-level journalism classes to work on future issues.

Administrators looked to other suburban journalism programs, including York High in Elmhurst and Hinsdale South, for advice when drafting the guidelines, Carter said.

Students' abilities to follow the rules and meet the goals will help define their grades in the class, Carter said.

The newest edition of the Statesman was published Friday, weeks later than originally scheduled. It was postponed because of the staff departures and reduced from the usual 16 pages to 12.

Junior Kelly Bauer is the new editor-in-chief, replacing Pam Selman. Junior Austin Zoot is the new managing editor, replacing Evan Ribot.

Neither Bauer nor Zoot could be reached for comment Friday.