Pubdate: Thu, 13 Mar 2008
Source: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)
Copyright: 2008 The Daily Herald Company
Contact:  http://www.dailyherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/107
Author: Melissa Jenco

CENTRAL TIMES STAFFERS DEFEND THEIR ADVISER

Current and former Naperville Central High School  newspaper staff
members are banding together to support  longtime adviser Linda Kane,
who has been asked to  resign her post with the paper.

Administrators are upset over recent articles in the  Central Times
they say glorified marijuana use and  contained unacceptable profanity.

It isn't the first time the award-winning student paper  has clashed
with school officials.

But this time Kane, who is set to retire in two years,  says
administrators told her she must either resign  from the newspaper or
she will be fired as its adviser.

She said she refuses to step down and is exploring  legal
options.

In the meantime, students who have worked with her at  the Central
Times are rushing to her defense.

Lauren Sieben, a 2007 Central graduate and former  editor in chief of
the Central Times, sent a letter  Wednesday to school and district
administrators as well  as the school board that was signed by 30
former staff  members.

In the letter, the alumni point to the paper's  achievements --
including nine National Pacemaker  awards -- and the "heart and
dedication" they said Kane  has put into it for the past 19 years.

"Kane instills journalistic values and skills in her  students that
rival the journalism education many of us  have received at various
national universities," the  letter says. "Kane is a valuable asset
not only to the  Central Times but also to the NCHS community. Her
knowledge, instructional skills, journalistic  experience and
strengths as a publication adviser are  unmatched by anyone else in
the field of scholastic  journalism."

Editor in Chief Hannah Oppenheimer said current staff  members also
have written letters to administrators in  support of Kane, who she
says has taught them not only  good journalism but also about commitment.

"Obviously she edits our papers and makes suggestions  to us, but it's
not just that," Oppenheimer said. "She  does that in such an
experienced sense that we can  trust her completely with all the
decisions she makes  regarding our newspaper."

Principal Jim Caudill has said he doesn't mind the  paper writing
about controversial topics, but it is  also his job to watch out for
the welfare of Central  students. He said that welfare was compromised
by the  stories he believes glorify the use of marijuana and  use
inappropriate language.

He and district administrators are exploring the  possibility of
changing the paper's policy on profanity  -- which allows expletives
in direct quotes if they are  crucial to the meaning of the quotes --
but the staff  has threatened to file a lawsuit if they do.

Superintendent Alan Leis said Wednesday he will give  serious
consideration to the input he received from the  paper's staff members.

He said the district is in "fact-finding mode" and will  follow due
process as it would with any other personnel  matter.

"I think this issue raises some things we need to have  further
dialogue on," he said. "These kinds of issues  have come up between
the principal and sponsor …  before, and we've been able to work
through them.

"The legal landscape continues to change and it's an  issue we need to
deal with long-term as far as what is  the principal's role and the
students' role in these  issues. We need to deal with this very
thoughtfully."

Aside from the newspaper articles in question, he said  he is also
"sad and disappointed" by negative remarks  Kane made about Caudill in
recent Daily Herald  articles.

One of Kane's supporters, former managing editor and a  2007 graduate
Alex Ruppenthal, agreed the adviser could  have expressed herself in a
more diplomatic way. But he  said it would be "tragic" to see her
resign or be fired  after building such a successful program.

"I was always interested in journalism, but she  nurtured me and all
of her students," Ruppenthal said.  "She knows how to teach journalism
and teach it right."

Kane said she is touched by the kind words of current  and former
students in what has been a trying time.

"I know I've gotten a lot of e-mails of support and  heard from a lot
of community members and parents and  even journalism teachers at
Columbia College," she  said. "Honestly, I don't know if I could walk
into this  building without this support."
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