PURPOSE: To recognize annually a Pennsylvania school administrator who strives
- to appoint certified or experienced teachers as advisers of school publications or media programs;
- to encourage new advisers to prepare to become qualified advisers by supporting their attendance at related professional organizations, workshops, or conferences
- to assign a journalism mentor for the teacher/adviser
to provide resources and finances to encourage high-quality scholastic journalism or media programs. Types of support might include academic credit for journalism classes, appropriate physical facilities, equipment and educational materials, release time for advisers and students to attend workshops and press conferences, funds for membership in scholastic journalism press associations, and fees for their services.
- to support a free student press consistent with the spirit of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Pennsylvania School Code, Section 12.9.
- to provide additional compensation for publication or media advisers comparable to that of other staff members in major co-curricular activities,
- to publicly recognize and promote curriculum courses in journalism and mass media
- to provide recognition for informal instruction
to provide motivation and recognition for students in a co-curricular capacity.
- to participate in professional local, state and national administrator organizations and remain accessible to students, staff, and adviser(s).
Any PSPA member school can nominate an administrator for this award. The state winner will be honored at the Spring Awards Ceremony. The award will be announced on the PSPA website.
NOMINATION PROCESS: Administrators must be nominated by another individual, such as but not limited to a teacher/adviser, a student on publication staff, a parent, or a colleague, by completing this JotForm. No hard copies of any documents will be accepted. The administrator's school must be a PSPA member. The nominator will fill out this form and PSPA will contact the administrator for more information including a resume and three or more letters of recommendation.
CRITERIA: The administrator's school must be a member of PSPA at the time of the nomination.
APPLICATION PROCESS: The nominator will complete this form and PSPA will contact the administrator to gather a resume and three letters of recommendation from the administrator. The Administrator of the Year award will be announced on February 1 and the administrator will be honored at the state competition in March.
AWARD PROCESS: The administrator will receive a plaque at the annual Spring Awards Celebration. The winner will prepare at least one blog about the value of journalism programs at his or her school to be posted on the PSPA website. The administrator will serve from March to March following the appointment.
DEADLINE: November 30, 2022, midnight.