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Superintendent speaks out
Speak your piece - Michael J. Stuart, Superintendent, Shasta Union High School
If you were watching the NBA playoffs this last week, you no doubt saw a lot of cheap shots on the court.
Was the Record Searchlight emulating this practice when the editorial staff published a caricature of two men burning the First Amendment over a Volcano? No doubt the cartoonist thought him or herself very clever to have brought together all of the elements of the “big controversy” in one image. The image was of the Shasta High principal and the Shasta Union High School District Superintendent jointly burning the Bill of Rights and included a cartoon figure telling me that my flag lapel pin is burning.
Just in case the average RS reader had missed this big story (two, or is it three days above the fold?), our names were boldly printed. Very clever, indeed. Too bad it wasn’t based upon fact. Or is adherence to the truth no longer a responsibility of the Record Searchlight? Perhaps using public figures as punching bags and throwing a little “red meat” to the part of the blogging community that do not want all the facts and prefer personal attacks sells more papers and creates more hits on the Web site so the advertising can be more effective.
For those of you who are interested in the truth, read on. The rest of you; feel free to rush to your computers and anonymously share your opinions and don’t let the facts slow you down.
My responses to the editorial in the Volcano were that I thought it was self–indulgent, patronizing and condescending to those of us who are combat veterans - poor timing since it was the last issue on the last day of school - and that I did not like the article.
I never said that I thought the editorial writer did not have the right to publish the editorial, or that I thought students should not have that right. Students in California cannot be censored in their publications by teachers, school administrators or school boards (Education Code 48907) unless there is libel, slander, obscenity or it incites students to disrupt the orderly operation of schools.
It is becoming more common that when one responds to “free speech” in editorials or otherwise, the respondent is labeled as someone that wants to destroy the constitution and take away the “free speech” of the original messenger or their supporters. Playing this “free speech” card instead of defending one’s viewpoints is cowardly and does nothing for useful public discourse concerning issues of the day.
I am the guy who, last week, called the home of Amanda, next year’s Volcano editor, and had a nice talk with her mother and asked for Amanda to call me. She did, and we had positive talk about her vision of the paper. Amanda is confident she can get more than the eleven students currently signed up for next year’s journalism class. As a result of this conversation, I decided to fund an extra section next year at Shasta High School to give these kids a chance to gain journalism experience and create one of the best student newspapers in the state.
Next, I called and talked to a member of the Record Searchlight’s editorial staff for some insight on how they make decisions about what to editorialize and how they handle controversial editorials in terms of the factors that are considered so I could discuss them with Amanda. I also asked if they would be willing to meet with Amanda and other journalism students to give our kids insight from professional journalists. The response from the Record Searchlight was they would really enjoy meeting with the students.
When I first became Superintendent 10 years ago I met with the Record Searchlight staff and stated that I knew there would be times when they would disagree with me and some of my decisions. I stated that I thought that was fair but I asked that that when we disagreed we did so in the best tradition of public debate and they not impugn my character or dedication and commitment to young American students. I have been treated fairly through the years and have appreciated the positive press and even the differences of opinion on policy that caused me to take another look at our decisions.
However, lately things seemed to have changed at our local paper. Although the folks who run the Record Searchlight may not agree, citizens are developing negative views of a paper that seeks the sensational scandal over the substantive news and panders to those who prefer personal attacks rather than reasoned public discussions.
The most recent edition of the Volcano was big news in the nation for about two minutes. In Redding it’s the equivalent of an actual volcanic eruption because the Record Searchlight keeps it going. In this case, having run out of facts the Record Searchlight fabricates fodder to add to the fire and throws red meat to the bloggers. Let’s hope for two things: that the Volcano’s staff consistently aspires to a high level of journalistic integrity and that the Record Searchlight editors stop reinforcing the growing negative public opinion of their publication.
All of our institutions, including the Record Searchlight, should aspire to raise the level of respect and civility in the community and call us all to the highest standards.
We all are stewards of American democracy and need to participate in it with reasoned thought, class and dignity knowing that differences of opinion are healthy and not reason for the destruction of one’s reputation and credibility.
If you have an opinion on a local topic and would like to share it with Food for Thought, drop a note to attndoni@gmail.com to get guidelines for writing.
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Well reasoned and eloquent, Superintendent Stuart. I was heartened when you reinstated the student newspaper and respected your courage to take a stand for first amendment principles. Here, people have the right to speak whether or not we agree. Moreover, there can be value in different perspectives that benefit all of us. A foundation of democracy that has been seriously eroded in the last several years is the willingness, even the ability to debate disagreements respectfully. Our national conscience has been subverted to the cause of winning. We “spin” issues rather than seek to understand them. We malign people who disagree with us rather than discuss the merits of their ideas. For our children, for our future, we must relearn to examine the spectrum of opinions in arguments so we can make the best possible future decisions.
I have a friend, who knows a guy whose sister’s boyfriend’s cousin went to art school with the aforementioned cartoonist, so I feel compelled to respond on his behalf. I know, I know, there’s nothing to indicate that this particular cartoonist went to art school but that’s what the guy said.
Now, Mr. Stuart has made some valid points. I, for one, am glad the school newspaper will be published next year. I hope it conforms with “the vision” of Mr. Stuart so no futhur interruptions in the press run are necessary.
As for the cartoon in the R-S, there are some important facts about its’ production that should be brought to the public’s attention. The page on which it appears has the big word “Opinion” at the top. The cartoon is thunk up and crudely rendered by the twice aforementioned cartoonist based on his sometimes twisted personal take on events, often with hilarious results I might add. It is treated by the editors in the same way an opinion column is dealt with. They may not agree with the now thrice aforementioned cartoonist’s views, but they swallow hard, hold their nose and allow it to take up some real estate on the page. If Alana Burke can spew her nonsense all over the place, then I guess just about anybody’s voice can be heard in the paper.
Now, I’m told, that not all cartoons submitted make the cut. Some are sent back for editing to conform to the general guidelines set forth by the Cheeses In Charge. It’s my understanding the quadalaforementioned cartoonist has been granted some latitude due to his sensitive nature and his knowledge of the paper’s computer system, which allows him to deviously sneak stuff past The Cheeses.
Sometimes, those in the public eye don’t like the way they were portrayed in the cartoon. Don’t be offended, newsprint is said to add about 10 pounds (the cartoonist adds an additional 10 just for spite.) Sometimes they disagree with the cartoonist. Sometimes a story develops between the time the cartoon was drawn and it appears in print. But, for the most part they are an accurate depiction of the cartoonist’s view on the subject at the time the cartoon was executed. Well, maybe the word “executed” is a bad choice, but you get the idea.
I’m told by my friend’s aunt who heard at the grocery store from a neighbor that babysat the cartoonist when he was a little tyke (I’m told he was a smart-aleck kid back then with a bed-wetting problem) that he stands by his cartoon. The efforts by school administrators to consider discontinuing The Volcano, and their reasons for doing so, came from their own lips. It smacked of censorship. The situation blew up in their faces, which was so artfully and accurately depicted in the cartoon. If you don’t want to be portrayed in a cartoon, don’t give the cartoonist any ammo.
Public figures, their policies and their statements are fair game for an editorial cartoon. Mr. Stuart, his policies and initial reaction to The Volcano situation was what was being lampooned.
But, if I happen to see that wisenheimer crayon jockey out on the street, POW! To the moon, Alice. To the moon.
I hope that will make everyone feel better.
Masked Blogger,
I find your response pretty darn clever and I enjoyed reading it. However, you assign statements and policies to me that are non existent. Can you point to any policies or comments of mine that would make you think I want to deny students first amendment rights as depicted by the cartoonist? Good grief, I am the person who made it possible for the kids to have a paper after the Principal did away with the paper. I simply made statements about why I did not like the editorial and was very careful not to make statements that would indicate that I thought students rights should be abridged.
I understand the function of political cartoons but I think in this case there is no basis in fact for the way I was depicted. Anyway, your post was a good read but the conclusions are a bit off abut me.
The direct ancestors of anonymous bloggers that Mr. Stuart disparages were instrumental in founding this country. Perhaps the superintendent should ask one of his teachers about “Publius.”
I suspect Mr. Stuart would be happier if one had to be licensed and bonded by the government before they could express an opinion, but that’s not the way this country is supposed to work.
Maybe we should all look at what the real story is here.
Funding in this school and many other schools in California and the U.S. are not available to keep journalism classes going and their accompanying newspapers.
This is really the tragedy. How do we teach the fundamentals of free speech and free press if there is no class to help inform and discuss? There is no other way for the students to try their skills at writing/reporting, editorializing and setting their policies for all the world to see. Classes like journalism teach more than the “three R’s” it teaches life lessons.
It was unfortunate that Stuart’s decision coincided with a student’s attempt at a controversial opinion, it did look very bad.
Good job to Stuart and to the future editor that had the gumption to calmly and logically make her point.
Now folks, this is just for one year, how are WE going to keep it going?
Don’t forget, the newspaper at West Valley and Enterprise high schools are gone, again funding issues. I’m not sure if the Anderson Cubs will be continuing theirs. At least New Tech has an online version for their school population.
As citizens, we all have the responsibility to help our young people to prepare for their life ahead of them. Any small gesture helps these student publications.
If you’re a business person, support them with even just a small ad. If you’re a worker, support the businesses that advertise in the publications. If you can volunteer just a small amount of time, do so. You don’t even have to have a student in the school, the whole community wins by all who participate.
The word “amendment” was misspelled in that cartoon, if I remember correctly. Just sayin’.
And to Mr. Stuart, I always appreciated the professional, candid, fair and honest way that you related to me in my former life as a reporter. I did my part to be objective and take time to spotlight many of the great things going on in our schools, so you always took the time to keep me informed so I could inform the public about district business, even when it was negative. Mutual respect goes a long way; the “we’re the all-powerful press and you must serve us” mentality does not.
I’m not surprised in the slightest that Mike called the young editor with a solution. His strong and thoughtful leadership will really be missed in the district.
I am grateful for a forum where you are able to speak your mind, Mr. Stuart. And I applaud your efforts to reinstate the newspaper and to allow the students another chance. I do stand by the fact that I don’t think it was wrong for the Record Searchlight to run a story on the issue. I do think it was news, but I can definately see how the editorial cartoon would be irritating and would make you not want to be cooperative with the RS in the future. Hopefully you can continue with your professional interaction with the RS so we as readers can benefit from recieving both sides of the story.
Talk about a big to do about nothing. I thought Phil’s cartoon was funny and he too had the right to lampoon Mr. Sturart and the principal as did “what’s his name”, the editor of the Volcano who had his 15 minutes of fame. What is that kid’s name? Was it Kip Lee?
Thanks be to Mike Stuart for continuing the ages old Volcano and it’s new modern ready to go staff. Don’t make it boring kids. Go for the controversy sometimes and include a cartoon like Phil Fountain’s if you can get it by the cheezes. Har, good luck.
———- > Budd
All of us should be so fortunate if the incoming new superintendent has the integrity, ability (and desire) to see the whole picture and the dedication to the best interests of the students and the community. Mike Stuart will be missed in this role, and hopefully he will continue to be present in the public eye in other forums that this community may benefit from.