The Indiana Publisher

states have passed similar language and the combined 183 years of states under this type of legislation has resulted in zero judgements/ settlements against a school district based on student content. The U.S. Supreme Court has settled this matter, giving administrators the right to regulate student publication content. The Truth: The Supreme Court has ruled and neither the supporters or opposition to this bill disagree that administrators have the right to protect the educational process from disruption, but Indiana's constitutional right to free speech is even stronger than the First Amendment and the legislature would only be clarify- ing the threshold permitting school officials to censor student content. Under H.B. 1016, students would practice journal- ism under adult supervision and administrators will not be able to turn a student publication into a public relations tool. Administra- tors could protect the school from disruption. The current threshold has existed for 30 years and there is no evidence of administrators abusing their authority in regulating the content of student publications and broadcasts. The Truth: The Indiana High School Press Association is frequently contacted by students or journalism advisers with samples of administrators going beyond pedagogical reasons to block student stories. And surveys show even more instanc- es of self-censorship by students who don't believe they will be allowed to write about certain subjects -- obviously, a situation at odds with the nation and Indiana's notion of free speech. This bill will limit the ability of administrators to discipline a journalism adviser. The Truth: Administrators would continue to have the same authority to discipline a journal- ism adviser as they always have with any teacher. Insubordina- tion, incompetence, etc., are not protected by this bill. Allowing teachers to teach the subject of their expertise, whether it's math, science, foreign language or journalism, should not be considered a limitation. Strong school journalism programs develop civic-minded students – a goal we all should support. Students can express them- selves freely outside the school through social media. They can create their own newspaper outside of school and distribute it themselves. The Truth: That removes the element of education in journal- ism. Students can experiment with science, select books to read on their own, and individu- ally grapple with algebraic formulas, but these subjects are better taught through the school system by trained educators. The same goes for journalism. Page 5 February 2018 Left: Ryan Gunterman fills out forms Feb. 1 requesting legislators come out of the House Chamber to discuss H.B. 1016. Gunterman, a journalist and journalism educator, lobbied for passage of the student free press bill. Right: "Be Heard" buttons outside the Education Committee hearing room Jan. 25. H.B. 1016 was part of the national New Voices movement, a project of the Student Press Law Center, that uses #BeHeard for its campaigns.. IHSPA Director Ryan Gunterman, Plainfield High School teacher Michelle Burress and Plainfield student Anu Nattam discuss the next move for H.B. 1016 after the bill passed out of the Education Committee on Jan. 25. Nattam, co-editor of her school's publication, The Shakeout, testified in favor of the bill and said her staff and her adviser, Burress, had experienced interference from school administrators. Photos/Ruth Witmer USPS Continued from Page 2 General Megan Brennan and Chief Operating Officer David Williams, who kept their testing teams focused on checking out possible disruptions in mail handling from this new practice. In the end, they agreed with us: unlidded trays are a good thing." She noted that trays traveling beyond the newspa- per's a Sectional Center Facility will continue to require lids. USPS issued its new rule as a Customer Service Ruling on January 31. The new ruling states: The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) sections 207.22 and 207.25 provide for non-barcod- ed and automation Periodicals flats to be prepared in flat trays. DMM 203.5.6.2 provides that each tray must be covered and be secured with two plastic straps. This Customer Support Ruling provides an option for Periodicals mailers to prepare flat-size pieces, under the applicable DMM standards, in flat trays without the use of lids and strapping for pieces that will be worked or processed at the entry facility or associated Sectional Center Facility (SCF). All other flats trays that are not worked or processed at the entry office or associated SCF must contain green lids and strapping and be in compli- ance with DMM standards. The Postal Service reserves the right to rescind this CSR if we discover any operational impacts due to this support ruling. You can access the CSR and DMM language for this approved "Optional Tray Preparation" on Postal Explorer via the following link: https://pe.usps.com/text/ csr/PS-347.htm "Indiana lawmakers missed a real opportunity to bring clarity to this issue. " Mike Hiestand, Senior Legal Counsel, Student Press Law Center

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