Actually, this post will have absolutely nothing to do with the “fourth” installment (aka first) of the Star Wars saga (which I positively love, btw), instead, “A New Hope” signifies the beginning of a new chapter for this blog. I have decided not to focus on the effect of standardized tests on reading, but rather to turn my eye to the question of whether student publications should have the protection of the first amendment, namely, freedom of the press.
I can remember in high school, the school newspaper created some major controversy one MLK day. A student had written an op. ed. about how King’s dream had not yet come true, how we were still very far from being color blind. The next morning I arrived to a school filled with angry parents (mostly African American). They were upset because this editorial, I’m not sure what it said exactly, but it somehow appeared racist to these parents. The student was severly reprimanded and the teacher in charge of the newspaper almost lost her job.
Was this fair? Should students be able to write whatever they choose to in their school newspaper, essays, etc? Should teacher be responsible for what is published beyond common sense, so much so that their jobs are on the line? Do minors, do high school students, have the freedom of speech and of the press granted in our Bill of Rights?
These are some of the questions I will seek to answer through my blog. I have searched online for blogs, etc that address this issue. Believe me, they are surprisingly hard to come by. Ther are many single articles or posts, but finding a place devoted to students’ rights in publication has been all but impossible. I hope to still find my subscriptions to the education sections of The New York Times and The Washington Post useful, as well as those to the educations section of NPR. I will also be reading Omegaword, a blog that seems to deal a lot with education, freedom of speech, and the government – all promising aspects.
