Freedom of speech. Turns out we all espouse it but, in fact, in California many teachers have had problems after their students spoke out on issues the administration didn't like.
Things may have changed, as a result of Senate Bill 1370. California professors and teachers may be protected from retaliation by administrators as a result of students speech -- that is, if Governor Arnold Schwarenegger signs the bill, which passed the Senate with a 31-2 vote and the Assembly with a 72-1 vote. This should happen sometime within the next week or two. We all need to pay attention and make sure this happens.
Not only does the law protect first amendment rights, but it models behavior that should be found in a democracy. People should not be fired or removed for protected speech and students should see this in practice at school.
According to a recent study by the Newspaper Association of American Foundation, students who work on their school paper or year book are more likely to get better grades in high school and college. These are programs we as educators need to foster in high schools and make sure the teachers of these programs are supported.
The bill is sponsored by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) and is long over due.
California has had a history of dismissing teachers due to student free speech. A number of documented cases can be found where journalism advisers have been dismissed or reassigned as a result of free speech issues. For example: In 2006, in Los Angeles, a highly respected newspaper advisor was removed when students published an editorial criticizing random searches on campus. The adviser, Darryl Adams, was removed after refusing to cut the editorial at the request of the principal. Adams was later removed as a basketball coach and announcer for the football games
Here are two other well known cases: Ronnie Campagna, an 18-year veteran teacher at San Mateo High, was removed in 2003 when her students criticized the administration for not allowing students to stand up in the bleachers during varsity basketball games. The second case involved Janet Ewell, an award-winning teacher from Garden Grove, who was removed in 2002 when her student ran editorials about the school bathrooms, cafeteria food and a teacher who was unavailable to help students.
Senator Leland Yee should be commended for his efforts on behalf of students and teachers in California. Keep an eye out for the signing of the bill in Sacramento and make sure students and teachers in your school know about it. Additional Resources  Esther Wojcicki is the driving force behind the development of Palo Alto High School’s award-winning journalism program - the largest high school journalism program in the country. She focuses on assessing and improving student learning through low- and high-tech tools.
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