Editorial Writing - Alvin Independent School District · Editorial Writing Invitational A Meet •...

Editorial WritingInvitational A Meet • 2016

You are a reporter for the Leaguetown Press, the stu-dent newspaper of Leaguetown High School. From the given information, write an editorial as you would for the high school newspa-per. Remember that as an editorial writer, you should support or oppose policy or action; you should not sermonize.

You have 45 minutes.

Do not write your name or the name of your school on this sheet or your entry. Put your number on your paper.

Leaguetown High School has 800 students enrolled in grades 9-12. For the past four years, the broadcast class has produced a daily 10-minute newscast covering school issues and events. It is called LHS News Nation. The show airs every day during fourth period and includes announcements from the admin-istration and clubs, student stories, highlights from school events and more. Starting Feb. 22, the show may no longer run during school hours.

On Feb. 15, students will vote on whether to continue the show or add the 10-minutes to the lunch period. Principal Allen Felder proposed the students vote after the Student Council asked for a longer lunch period. Currently, lunch is 28 minutes.

If the vote favors adding the 10 minutes to lunch, then the broadcast pro-gram will air at 7:45 a.m., 15 minutes before school starts, daily in the cafeteria, library and lecture hall. Students can also watch the broadcast at home on the school website.

The next issue of the Press will be distributed Monday, Feb. 1.

THOSE SUPPORTING THE CHANGEStudents have less than 30 minutes for lunch. Unless they are bringing

their lunch from home, they barely have time to stand in line to get lunch. Students certainly don’t have time to sit down and enjoy their meal.

THOSE OPPOSING THE CHANGEThe broadcast program gives vital information to the student body and

promotes events and students. Most students will not arrive at school early to watch the program nor will they take the time to watch the program at home.

■ ALLEN FELDER, principal“Since school started with the shortened lunch period, the Student Coun-

cil has requested a longer lunch. The administraiton has looked at the schedule over and over again, and we can’t find another solution short of making the school day longer. I love the broadcast program, and I believe it helps unite our school. But I am not sure all of the students feel the same way about it. Life is about choices. This vote may be a tough choice for some students, but at least we are giving them a choice.”

2016 INVITATIONAL A MEET EDITORIAL• PAGE 2

■ JAVIER ROJAS, junior and Student Council president“When we asked for more lunch time, we did not ask the principal to slash the broadcast program. We

suggested taking two minutes from each of the seven periods, but Mr. Felder said that wasn’t an option. Personally, I know I will continue to watch News Nation if students vote for the longer lunch. I also think a lot of students will continue to watch the broadcast. It’s not an easy choice, and I want the broadcast stu-dents to know this wasn’t our idea. I don’t want to encourage students to vote one particular away. I just want to encourage them to vote.”

■ BROOKLYN CARTER, junior and news anchor for Nation News“Mr. Felder is splitting the school with this vote. Students are arguing with each other about how to

vote. It’s getting ugly. I, obviously, will not vote for the longer lunch. Of course I want a longer lunch but not at the expense of our show. Our show highlights students, athletic events, academic contests and more. It connects all of us together. It’s worth the 10 minutes. Students should not allow the administration to split us. We should vote against this proposal and demand the 10 minutes come from somewhere else.”

■ SULEY SHAH, broadcast teacher“Last year our newscast won more than 30 awards from the state and national level. It won a Gold Star

from the state scholastic press association which is the highest rating. It’s a great program. It gives the stu-dents key information and shows interesting stories about our students and staff. Every day someone com-ments to me about how much they like the program. I hope students keep that in mind when they vote.”

■ SHAYLA POTTER, sophomore“Lunch is way too short. I buy my lunch, and I usually only have about five to seven minutes to sit

down and eat it. And, I am not even at the end of the lunch line most days. Every day when the bell rings, there are usually a few students still paying for their lunch. They eat as they walk to the next class. Some-thing has to be done about lunches.”

■ ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONThe school newspaper is distributed during fourth period every four weeks, and the yearbook has a

schoolwide distribution day during school in May.

EDITORIAL WRITING/INVITATIONAL A • 2016CONTEST TIPS AND SAMPLE EDITORIALS

Contest Director: Give one copy to each judge to use during critique/judging. Also, staple one copy of the contest and one copy of the contest tips to each student’s returned entry. The purpose of the tips is to provide immediate feedback to students. However, it is not meant to replace written comments from the judge.

1. Lead with a statement of the situation and then take a clear, definite staff stance. The situation is whether to continue the news broadcast during school time or have a longer lunch. Do you sup-port this or not?

2. As a general rule, use third person. If you must use a pronoun, use first person plural (we, mean-ing “we, the newspaper staff”). Do not use first person singular (I, me, mine) or second person (you). Avoid unnecessary use of pronouns. Rather than “We believe the students should...,” write instead, “The students should.”

3. Don’t waddle into the editorial. Get right to the point and, as a general rule, don’t ask a lot of ques-tions. An editorial should answer questions, not ask them. Above all, remember that your purpose is to make thoughtful, logical arguments in support of your position, not to engage in a tirade. The editorial should not be long — 450 words at the most. Although it’s not recommended all the time, sometimes a writer could use a feature opening to grab the reader’s attention and get them into the story.

4. Look for the future angle. Your paper comes out before the school vote.

5. Once you’ve stated your position/stance, the body of the story should support your stance and refute the opposition.

6. After the body of your editorial, complete the editorial with a specific solution.

7. Avoid direct quotes unless the quote adds substantially to the editorial. You can pull information from these quotes, as has been done here, but it’s not necessary to attribute that information unless the person has a lot of credibility toward the story itself.

8. Watch for factual errors. Pay attention to minor details. Also, stay focused.

9. Don’t clutter up the editorial with cliches or trite phrases such as “the principal is mean” or any variation thereof. Also, edit out the name of the school unless it is necessary for clarity. It isn’t neces-sary to say “Leaguetown Independent School District” or “Leaguetown High School.” Students know the name of the school. They don’t need to be reminded.

DO NOT PASS OUT TO STUDENTS BEFORE OR DURING THE CONTEST2016 INVITATIONAL A MEET • KEY PAGE 1

SAMPLE EDITORIAL/SUPPORTING

In response to the Student Council request for a longer lunch period, Principal Allen Felder has

proposed eliminating the student broadcast, News Nation, from fourth period and adding those 10

minutes to the lunch period. News Nation instead would air before school and be available on the

school website. Students will vote on the proposal Feb. 15.

Students should vote “yes” to the proposal.

Currently, students have only 28 minutes for lunch. By the time students stand in line and get their

food, students have no time to eat. Students scarf down their meals in a matter of minutes. Not only

is this stressful for students, it isn’t healthy. The digestive system needs time to send signals to the brain as to when the stomach is full.

Lunch also is a time for students to connect with their peers and rejuvenate between classes. Teens need time to socialize and gain energy to finish the day out. Students are expected to be in class and learn for the majority of the day — lunchtime is a necessary break for students. As the schedule is now,

students don’t have a sufficient break. Additionally, the broadcast will still be available for viewing on the school website, and it will air

at 7:45 am before school every day in the cafeteria, the lecture halls and library. This gives students ample opportunity to watch the program.

Opponents of the proposal say News Nation is vital to the school and connects students, but it’s

not more vital than eating lunch. Right now, every day some students are paying for their lunch when

the bell for class rings. Ten minutes will give all students the necessary time to connect with their peers and enjoy lunch.

Felder is giving students a choice, and the right choice is to extend the lunch period. Having time to eat lunch and socialize with peers is more vital than watching highlights of the Friday night basketball

game or hearing about the latest club activity. When it’s time to vote, students shouldn’t hesitate to

say “yes” to a longer lunch.

2016 INVITATIONAL A MEET EDITORIAL• KEY PAGE 2

2016 INVITATIONAL A MEET EDITORIAL• KEY PAGE 3

SAMPLE EDITORIAL/OPPOSINGIn response to the Student Council request for a longer lunch period, Principal Allen Felder has

proposed eliminating the student broadcast, News Nation, from fourth period and adding those 10 minutes to the lunch period. News Nation instead would air before school and be available on the school website. Students will vote on the proposal Feb. 15.

Students should vote “no” to the proposal.The student-run broadcast program gives vital information to the student body. News Nation bonds

students together and creates school spirit. It also recognizes students for their accomplishments and highlights school events and activities. By eliminating this broadcast from its allotted time during school, the school is distancing the students from each other and the school itself.

Last year the newscast won more than 30 awards at the state and national level. Broadcast and journalism students put in many hours of hard work to produce this quality program. Both the newspa-per and yearbook are distributed during school hours. The broadcast should enjoy the same privilege.

While Felder is trying to listen to the needs of the students, he is dividing the school with this vote. The Student Council had a viable solution to lengthen lunch — take two minutes from every class period. That actually adds 14 minutes to lunch, and no one, not teachers or students, will miss two minutes from class.

Supporters of the proposal say students will still have the opportunity to watch Nation News, but let’s get real. Students are not going to come to school early every day to watch a broadcast, and they aren’t going to watch it on the website when they get home either. They are too busy and pulled in too many directions. The broadcast needs to be shown during school to serve its purpose.

News Nation is too important to the students and the school to be shoved to the side. Students need to vote “no” on the proposal and ask Felder to reconsider the Student Council’s first proposal.

Editorial WritingInvitational B Meet • 2016

You are a reporter for the Leaguetown Press, the stu-dent newspaper of Leaguetown High School. From the given information, write an editorial as you would for the high school newspa-per. Remember that as an editorial writer, you should support or oppose policy or action; you should not sermonize.


Do not write your name or the name of your school on this sheet or your entry. Put your number on your paper.

Leaguetown High School has 2,800 students enrolled in grades 9-12. This month a student was caught with an unloaded BB gun in his backpack. The student was suspended and sent to the alternative school for the remainder of the school year. After the incident Superintendent Todd Terrell banned back-packs and all purses larger than a textbook from classrooms. Students must now leave their backpacks and large purses in their lockers while in class.

Terrell said students who bring backpacks to class will be put in In-School Suspension for that period. So far more than 500 students have been sent to ISS for violating the backpack rule. Administrators had to move ISS to the cafeteria to hold all of the students.

Terrell added one minute to each passing period to give students more time to go to their lockers between classes.

Both the Student Council and the president of the Parent Teacher Associa-tion have asked Dr. Terrell to rescind the new policy. The school resource of-ficer supports the policy. The next issue of the Press will be distributed Monday, Feb. 29.

THOSE SUPPORTING THE POLICYKeeping backpacks out of class will keep weapons out of classes. It’s Ter-

rell’s job to keep the school as safe as possible, and this policy helps him achieve that.

THOSE OPPOSING THE POLICYWithout backpacks, students have to go to their lockers after almost every

class period and as a result, tardies have increased. If students want to get weap-ons into the classroom, they don’t need a backpack.

■ TODD TERRELL, superintendent“This change will help prevent students from carrying weapons into the

classroom and enhance overall safety procedures in case of evacuations or other emergencies. I understand that it’s not going to keep everything out of our buildings, and we don’t expect it to. But it’s just one more thing we can do to be more proactive.

“Tardies are up, and we’ve had some students rebelling against the new policy. Give it a month, and I am sure everything will settle down. Once stu-dents understand why we made the change, I think they will support it. I plan on holding several class meetings to help students understand the reason for the new policy.”

2016 INVITATIONAL B MEET EDITORIAL• PAGE 2

■ ROSA AÑEJO, PTA president“Dr. Terrell calls his new policy proactive. We think it’s just reactive. Yes, a student did bring a BB gun

on campus and, yes, that wasn’t a good idea. But we have to keep this in perspective. It was a BB gun, not a shotgun, not a semi-automatic. We need education and character development to prevent a possible school tragedy.

“Students, overwhelmingly, don’t support this new policy and neither do most parents. My son’s back-pack helps keep him organized. It makes it easy for him to move from class to class without going to his locker after every class.”

■ BARRY SANDERS, senior and Student Council president“Students are complaining. Teachers are frustrated, and parents are not supportive of this new policy.

Dr. Terrell needs to rethink this decision. We all want to be safe at school, but we all also need access to our materials in order to be successful in our classes. The Student Council is going to continue to work with Dr. Terrell to try to get him to ease up on this new policy.”

■ SULEY SHAH, sophomore“So far I have had eight tardies in my third period class, and I am trying to get there on time. I simply

do not have time to go to my locker in between second and third period. But I also cannot carry every-thing in my arms to both classes. This policy is ridiculous, and I am getting fed up with it.”

■ COLTEN HUNDLEY, school resource officer“Dr. Terrell made the right decision for this school and these students. Banning backpacks from the

classroom does make them safer. This policy may not be convenient for students, but a little inconvenience is worth saving lives.”

■ ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONSouthside High School, the high school in the closest town, allows only clear backpacks in classrooms.

A report by the National School Administrators shows that in 2014 more than 150 high schools banned backpacks from classrooms.

EDITORIAL WRITING/INVITATIONAL B • 2016CONTEST TIPS AND SAMPLE EDITORIALS


1. Lead with a statement of the situation and then take a clear, definite staff stance. The situation is whether to keep the ban on backpacks and purses in the classroom. Do you support this or not?

2. As a general rule, use third person. If you must use a pronoun, use first person plural (we, meaning “we, the newspaper staff”). Do not use first person singular (I, me, mine) or second person (you). Avoid unnecessary use of pronouns. Rather than “We believe the superintendent should...,” write instead, “The superintendent should.”

3. Don’t waddle into the editorial. Get right to the point and, as a general rule, don’t ask a lot of ques-tions. An editorial should answer questions, not ask them. Above all, remember that your purpose is to make thoughtful, logical arguments in support of your position, not to engage in a tirade. The editorial should not be long — 450 words at the most. Although it’s not recommended all the time, sometimes a writer could use a feature opening to grab the reader’s attention and get them into the story.

4. Look for the future angle. Your paper comes out before the opinion meeting.

5. Once you’ve stated your position/stance, the body of the story should support your stance and refute the opposition.

6. After the body of your editorial, complete the editorial with a specific solution.


8. Watch for factual errors. Pay attention to minor details. Also, stay focused.

9. Don’t clutter up the editorial with cliches or trite phrases such as “the superintendent is dumb” or any variation thereof. Also, edit out the name of the school unless it is necessary for clarity. It isn’t necessary to say “Leaguetown Independent School District” or “Leaguetown High School.” Students know the name of the school. They don’t need to be reminded.

DO NOT DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS BEFORE OR DURING THE CONTEST!2016 INVITATIONAL B MEET • KEY PAGE 1

SAMPLE EDITORIAL/SUPPORTING After a student was found at school with an unloaded BB gun in his backpack, Superintendent

Todd Terrell has banned backpacks and large purses from the classroom. Students must leave their backpacks and purses in their lockers during class time or face a class period in In-School Suspension.

The Student Council and Parent-Teacher Association have asked Terrell to rescind the policy, but if Terrell’s number one priority is safety, the policy should stand.

Keeping backpacks out of class will keep weapons out of class. A weapon is hard to hide without a means to conceal it. The school does not need to take the chance of putting students’ lives at risk. This is a proactive move, and it’s a small price to pay to avoid a tragedy.

The school officer supports this policy. That alone should squash any parent complaints. Officers understand risks and potentially dangerous situations better than any student or educator. Parents should trust the officer’s judgement and support the policy.

The school is not alone in this policy. More than 150 high schools around the nation have made similar moves in the hopes of keeping their students safe. The school does not want to be behind on this trend. It could cost lives.

Opponents of the policy complain that students need backpacks to be prepared in class. This makes little sense. Students are capable of carrying material for one class without the need for a backpack. And Terrell even extended passing periods to give students more time to go to their lockers between classes.

It is Terrell’s job to keep students safe — this policy will help him do that. Instead of whining, stu-dents should thank Terrell for his progressive policy.

2016 INVITATIONAL B MEET EDITORIAL• KEY PAGE 2

2016 INVITATIONAL B MEET EDITORIAL• KEY PAGE 3

SAMPLE EDITORIAL/OPPOSINGAfter a student was found at school with an unloaded BB gun in his backpack, Superintendent

Todd Terrell has banned backpacks and large purses from the classroom. Students must leave their backpacks and purses in their lockers during class time or face a class period in In-School Suspension.

The policy needs to go.With more than 500 students receiving ISS for breaking this new rule, it’s obvious the student

body does not support the policy. The Parent-Teacher Association and the Student Council have asked Terrell to rescind the new policy. Terrell needs to listen.

If students want to get weapons into a classroom, they don’t need a backpack. Weapons can be concealed in clothing with minimal effort. If Terrell wants to ensure students do not bring guns to school, then he should focus on changing the culture of the school to be a more positive, sharing environment. This policy does nothing to improve the culture.

Tardies have dramatically increased. Students are trying to get to class as fast as they can, but even with the extra minute, they simply do not have time to go to their locker after every class period. Classes often require a book, paper, pencils and other materials such as calculators and project sup-plies. Students cannot carry everything in their arms.

Proponents of the policy contend that the school is safer. How do they know this? They have not shown any research or studies to support them.

Plus, Terrell needs to remember — it was a BB gun. Yes, it can be used as a weapon but it wasn’t a shotgun or a semi-automatic. Terrell needs to scale back his reaction. For example, at Southside High School only clear backpacks are allowed in the classroom. This would satisfy the need for safety, and the students’ need to carry supplies.

Safety should be a priority, but this is not the way to ensure it. Until a better solution is implemented, the policy should be dismantled.

Editorial WritingDistrict 1 Meet • 2016

You are a reporter for the Leaguetown Press, the stu-dent newspaper of Leaguetown High School. From the given information, write an editorial as you would for the high school newspa-per. Remember that as an editorial writer you should support or oppose policy or action; you should not sermonize.


Do not write your name or the name of your school on this sheet or your entry. Put your number NOT YOUR NAME on your paper.

Leaguetown High School, located in North Texas, has 2,800 students enrolled in grades 9-12. Hoping to help struggling high school students, Superintendent Kenna LaTeef is proposing a new grading system. Under the new proposal, students could make up any zero they received during that grading period. The highest grade a student could receive for the missing assignment would be an 85. Currently, teachers decide their own grading policy for their classes. Most teachers accept late work for partial credit a day or two after an assignment deadline. LaTeef’s proposal would extend that deadline to the end of the grading period. It also would allow students to earn more credit than most teachers award for late work.

The high school administration, including Principal Lea Lockhard, support the proposal. A teacher survey showed that 80 percent of the faculty do not sup-port the proposal. Lockhard will review the proposal at a parent meeting this Thursday and report her findings to the school board at its next meeting Monday, April 4. At that meeting, the school board could pass the proposal, ask for more information or vote it down.

You are writing for the issue of the Press to be distributed Tuesday, March 29.

THOSE SUPPORTING THE PROPOSALOne zero can significantly impact a student’s average. Two zeros can flunk a

student. This proposal gives students a second chance. They are able to redeem themselves, learn the material and pass the class. Schools should be about master-ing the curriculum, and this plan allows that.

THOSE OPPOSING THE PROPOSAL Allowing students to make up zeros is not a bad idea, but allowing unlim-

ited time during a grading period is absurd. They will be in the real world, and schools should prepare them for that. Also, this puts a huge grading burden on teachers. Students with special needs or difficulties can negotiate directly with a teacher for extra time.

■ KENNA LATEEF, superintendent“If we want our students to be successful and master the curriculum, we need

to give them every opportunity to do that. Sometimes, we have students who go through tough circumstances and get behind in their coursework. They need more than a day or two to catch up. The problem with zeros is just a few can drag down students’ grades so far that they can’t recover. What I found from my research was that those students either lose all motivation or become behavior problems in their class. Also after studying data from last year, I found that three percent of our students mastered a final exam but failed the course. They failed the course because of zeros.”

2016 DISTRICT 1 EDITORIAL • PAGE 2

■ HILLARIE CARSON, English teacher“I understand that we want our students to master the material, and we must work with students who

are struggling. But giving every student a free pass on deadlines is a terrible idea. First, what does that teach

them? Wait until the last second. And second, how in the world will I grade everything if my students decide

to wait until the end of the grading period to turn in all of their work? I don’t think there is a teacher here

who wouldn’t work with a student going through a rough time. We do that every day, but we must have high

expectations and standards.”

■ CARI TELSON, junior“Last year when I got the flu, I only had three days to do all of my makeup work. It was overwhelming. I

wasn’t able to complete everything, and for the first time in my life I ended up getting a C in a class because

of two zeros. I tried talking to the teacher, but she said she had to follow her policy. She also said three days

was plenty of time to complete the assignments. Well, it wasn’t. Not only did I have to learn and apply three

days of material on my own, I also had to keep up with that week’s work. This new policy would have helped

me. I think the board should pass it. I don’t think students would abuse it. They will be grateful to have it

when they need it.”

■ PAUL JONES, junior“My sister goes to Vasser College in New York. Her professors don’t give deadlines. All work is due at

the end of the semester. At first my sister thought this was a great idea — until the end of the semester. She

waited to do everything. She had to pull three all-nighters to get all of her work done and, even then, she

barely passed a couple of classes. I think some students here would do the same thing. I don’t see how that

could be good for anyone.”

■ ANJALI PATEL, math teacher“Zeros keep students from blowing off their school work. A zero motivates students to at least try and turn

in an assignment. If we are talking about mastering concepts, students need to do the work in progressive

order. Most subjects build on previous knowledge. If students don’t master initial material, they will struggle

as the concepts grow and expand. That is especially true for science and math. We are not just teaching math.

We’re teaching responsibility and punctuality.”

■ JOE INDIGO, science teacher“I can see both sides. If you look at the impact of a zero on a student’s grade, you could make a pretty

good case for allowing students the chance to make up all zeros. But at the same time, there really is a need

for students to understand you can’t go through life blowing off deadlines. Maybe the board could find a

compromise.”

■ ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONStudents take seven classes each semester.

DISTRICT 1• 2016EDITORIAL WRITING CONTEST TIPS AND SAMPLE EDITORIALS


1. Lead with a statement of the situation and then take a clear, definite staff stance. The situation is about a new makeup grading policy regarding zeros. Do you support the proposal or not?

2. As a general rule, use third person. If you must use a pronoun, use first person plural (“we,” mean-ing “we, the newspaper staff”). Do not use first person singular (I, me, mine) or second person (you). Avoid unnecessary use of pronouns. Rather than “We believe the school board should...,” write instead, “The school board should.”

3. Don’t waddle into the editorial. Get right to the point and, as a general rule, don’t ask a lot of ques-tions. An editorial should answer questions, not ask them. Above all, remember that your purpose is to make thoughtful, logical arguments in support of your position, not to engage in a tirade. The editorial should not be long — 450 words at the most. Although it’s not recommended all the time, sometimes a writer could use a feature opening to grab the reader’s attention and get him or her into the story.

4. Look for the future angle. Your paper comes out before the school board decides.

5. Once you’ve stated your position/stance, the body of the story should support your stance and refute your opposition.

6. After the body of your editorial, complete it with a specific solution.


8. Watch for factual errors. Pay attention to minor details. Stay focused.

9. Don’t clutter up the editorial with cliches or trite phrases such as “the policy is stupid” or any varia-tion thereof. Also, edit out the name of the school unless it is necessary for clarity. It isn’t necessary to say “Leaguetown Independent School District” or “Leaguetown High School.” Students know the name of the school. They don’t need to be reminded.

DO NOT PASS OUT TO STUDENTS BEFORE OR DURING THE CONTEST

SAMPLE EDITORIAL/OPPOSING In an effort to help struggling students, Superintendent Kenna LaTeef has proposed a new grad-

ing policy that would allow students the opportunity to make up any zero they received throughout the grading period. After meeting with parents on Thursday, Principal Lea Lockhard will present the proposal and its rationale to the school board at its Monday meeting.

Regardless of the principal’s report and findings, the board should reject this proposal.Currently teachers set their own guidelines for late work, and most accept late work for partial

credit. This allows students to have a bad day and not fail a class. What it doesn’t allow is for students to procrastinate for six weeks and then try to turn in everything at once. Allowing this makes no sense.

First, if a student waits to complete assignments, then he or she misses critical assessment. Cur-riculum builds on itself. If students aren’t learning the material in order, then mastering concepts, which is LaTeef’s goal, will not happen. Students should not wait six weeks to find out if they’ve mas-tered a concept.

Second, school is supposed to prepare students for their future — whether it’s employment or college. Both have deadlines and expectations. College professors have little patience for late work, and businesses will not retain employees who chronically miss deadlines. Coddling students now sets them up for failure in the future.

Finally, this proposal puts a huge burden on teachers. It’s not shocking that more than two-thirds of the faculty do not support the proposal. Teachers are already overworked. Now the administration wants to give students the choice to turn in all work the final week of a grading period. Teachers will be overwhelmed. Plus, teacher feedback on late papers has little meaning. The class has already moved on from that concept.

LaTeef said she is worried about students who either fail a course and show apparent mastery through passing the final and students who lose motivation completely because of a few zeros. While this proposal may solves those issues, it creates more problems than it solves.

Rather than create such a drastic school-wide plan, LeTeef should seek out those students who need help with late work. She can work with the students and teachers to devise individual plans for success so that the entire school is not hurt with this free-pass on deadline proposal.


SAMPLE EDITORIAL/SUPPORTING

Superintendent Kenna LaTeef has a plan to help struggling students. She is proposing a new grading policy that would give students the opportunity to make up any zero they received throughout the grading period. Principal Lea Lockhard will pitch the plan to parents on Thursday and will present those findings to the school board at its next meeting Monday.

Parents should throw their support behind this plan, and the board should do the same.One zero can greatly affect a student’s grade. Two zeros can cause a student to fail a class even

if the student makes good grades on the rest of the material and masters the curriculum. The goal of school is to master concepts and be able to apply learning. If a student can show that, then he or she deserves credit for a class. Most teachers have strict late work policies, only allowing a day or two for late work.

This policy also gives students who may be going through a tough time an opportunity to catch up. What LaTeef found was that students who fail a six weeks because of missed work either give up and disengage or become behavior problems. This benefits no one.

It’s true that most teachers allow students to turn in late work for partial credit, but each teacher creates his or her own policy. With seven classes, students could have seven different policies for late work. The school needs to standardize this, and the proposal will do that.

Opponents of the proposal say it’s coddling students. That’s not true. This proposal only allows students until the end of a grading period to turn in late work, and it doesn’t allow them to get full credit either. Students who want to maintain As and Bs will still turn in their work on time.

The board should back this proposal and give some students an incentive to stay in school and master the curriculum rather than throwing in the towel.


Editorial WritingDistrict 2 Meet • 2016




Leaguetown High School, located in West Texas, has 900 students enrolled in grades 9-12. After each basketball game, Ron Oswald, the head boys’ varsity coach, goes to half court, gets on his knees, bows his head and says a silent prayer. Most of the players join him for this prayer. In early February, Bryan Segal, the school district lawyer, attended a basketball game and witnessed the prayer. Fearing a potential lawsuit, Segal recommended to Superintendent Irene Negrete that she instruct the coach to discontinue the practice.

On Feb. 19, Negrete met with Oswald and explained that he must stop pray-ing at half court or he would be removed as head coach. Oswald said he would take her directive under consideration. At the next and final game of the season, Oswald continued his usual practice of praying at half court. The next week, Negrete placed Oswald on suspension as head basketball coach until he signs a document that states he will no longer pray on the court after basketball games. Oswald has until April 11 to sign the document. If he does not sign it, he will be reassigned. Oswald can continue in his position as a history teacher if he refuses to sign the document, but he will not be allowed to coach any sports. The varsity, junior varsity and freshmen signed a letter of support for Oswald. The letter re-quests that Oswald’s suspension be lifted without signing the document because he is “the best coach we’ve ever had.”

You are writing for the issue of the Press to be distributed Friday, April 8.

THOSE SUPPORTING THE SUSPENSIONThe superintendent is trying to avoid a potential costly and embarassing law-

suit. Her request is not unreasonable. She doesn’t mandate Oswald not to pray. She simply says he can’t pray at half court after games.

THOSE OPPOSING THE SUSPENSIONOswald is violating no one’s rights by praying after a game. He does it silently.

Players are not required, nor even encouraged, to join him. No one has complained. The district lawyer is making an issue out of nothing.

■ IRENE NEGRETE, superintendent“On the advice of our lawyer, the district stands behind its demand that coach

Oswald sign the document. Coach Oswald has a right to prayer, but he doesn’t have a right to do it half court after a basketball game. He can pray in the dressing room. He can pray on the way home. I honestly don’t care where he prays as long as it isn’t in our gym with a huge audience. We fear that his players feel pressured to participate in the prayer. We must protect our students first.”


■ BRIAN SEGAL, district lawyer“In the past 10 years, three school districts have been sued for similar situations, and all three lost. It’s

my job to protect this district and its students. That is what I am doing.”

■ RON OSWALD, suspended head varsity boys’ basketball coach“I haven’t been a religious man all my life, but last year my wife was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.

She asked me to pray with her, and I did. I also started going to church again. I needed prayer, and I needed

God. I believe God gave me the strength to be there for my wife. My wife is in remission now, but I haven’t

stopped praying. And I can’t. I pray after every game because I am thankful, and I want to be thankful in the

moment. I never ask the players to join me, and I don’t say my prayers out loud. I am respectful of all religions

and of those with no religion. I love coaching. I want to be the head basketball coach at this school. I have

no plans of fighting this. I won’t hire a lawyer. I won’t talk to any other media. I understand the district’s

position. I hope they understand mine.”

■ TY REYNOLDS, varsity senior“Coach Oswald is the reason I am in school. He is a great man and a great coach. He brought me onto

the team when I was freshman and getting into a lot of trouble. He sat me down and said I had talent, but

no one would ever see it if I didn’t stop what I was doing. What he said hit home. I stopped skipping and

fighting. I concentrated on basketball, and now I will play college ball because of him. I do pray with coach

Oswald, but he never asked me to do it. I go because I am thankful for him. This team needs coach Oswald.

This school needs him. He cares about every student. Superintendent Negrete needs to reinstate him — today.”

■ DALLAS BROWN, varsity junior“Coach Oswald is the best coach in this school. He gives everything to his students. His praying doesn’t

hurt anyone. I don’t go out and pray with him. I just don’t feel comfortable doing that. He’s never once

asked me to join him or even asked me why I don’t go. He’s never once made me feel uncomfortable for not

going. No one on the team feels that. I respect his decision to pray, and he respects my decision not to pray.

Coach shouldn’t have to sign that paper. He’s not hurting anyone. We need him.

“Not a single player hesitated in signing the letter of support. We all love him.”

■ ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONThe varsity boys’ basketball team advanced to the area playoffs this year, losing 57-55 to Township High

School in overtime. It was the team’s first district title since 1953.

DISTRICT 2• 2016EDITORIAL WRITING CONTEST TIPS AND SAMPLE EDITORIALS


1. Lead with a statement of the situation and then take a clear, definite staff stance. The situation is about a coach who is banned from praying publicly at games. Do you support the ban or not?

2. As a general rule, use third person. If you must use a pronoun, use first person plural (“we,” mean-ing “we, the newspaper staff”). Do not use first person singular (I, me, mine) or second person (you). Avoid unnecessary use of pronouns. Rather than “We believe the coach should...,” write instead, “The coach should.”


4. Look for the future angle. Your paper comes out before the coach makes his decision.





9. Don’t clutter up the editorial with cliches or trite phrases such as “the document is stupid” or any variation thereof. Also, edit out the name of the school unless it is necessary for clarity. It isn’t neces-sary to say “Leaguetown Independent School District” or “Leaguetown High School.” Students know the name of the school. They don’t need to be reminded.

DO NOT PASS OUT TO STUDENTS BEFORE OR DURING THE CONTEST

SAMPLE EDITORIAL/OPPOSINGFearing a potential lawsuit, Superintendent Irene Negrete banned head boys’ basketball coach

Ron Oswald from praying at half court after the basketball games. After the directive, Oswald prayed after the final game of the season and was suspended. He now has until April 11 to sign a document that states he will no longer pray on court or he will forfeit his coaching position.

Negrete should trash the document and reinstate Oswald.Coach Oswald is doing nothing wrong. In fact, he’s doing everything right. He does not force players

to pray with him after the game. He does not even encourage them. He prays silently, and he treats all of his players the same regardless of whether they pray or not. His players even attest to this.

Oswald has been praying all season, and not one person has complained. This is key to the argu-ment for reinstating him. The district claims it is trying to be proactive, but instead it’s overreacting. If someone has a problem with an action, then the district should act. But no one does. The district needs to leave well-enough alone.

The team and the school need Oswald. This year’s team won the first district title since 1953. Oswald has made a positive impact on not only the basketball program but also on the players. They love him, and he loves them back. All three teams support his reinstatement without question.

Negrete says she’s “protecting” students. From what? Positive coaching? The students need no protection from Oswald. He’s not a predator. He’s a man of great faith, a great mentor and a great role model.

Oswald is the foundation for the successful basketball program. If the district wants to continue this positive path, it needs to have a little faith and reinstate him immediately.


SAMPLE EDITORIAL/SUPPORTINGFearing a potential lawsuit, Superintendent Irene Negrete forbade head boys’ basketball coach Ron

Oswald from praying at half court after the basketball games. After she ordered him to stop, Oswald prayed after the final game of the season. Negrete had no choice but to suspend him for his deliber-ate act of insubordination.

He now has until April 11 to sign a document that states he will no longer pray on court or he will lose his coaching position permanently.

Though his players stand behind him 100 percent, Negrete is right, and Oswald should sign the document.

In the past 10 years, three school districts have lost similar lawsuits. The district lawyer and super-intendent are trying to prevent a costly lawsuit and the bad press that would surely follow it.

The document is not forbidding Oswald from praying. It simply states that he not do it publicly at basketball games in the public arena. He may pray silently to himself in the dressing room or in his car on the way home. The superintendent just doesn’t want the show in front of an audience in the school gym.

Oswald needs to stop praying after his games because, although he may not overtly pressure his athletes to pray with him, some may feel pressure to do so. This is how Negrete is trying to protect the athletes. She also is protecting Oswald.

Those who oppose Oswald signing the document say he’s made a positive impact in the school and the team needs him. If he’s so positive, he should set an example and follow the superintendent’s directives. Where he prays won’t affect the team or even the prayers. God doesn’t ask for a crowd to answer prayers.

If Oswald really cares about his team, he should take into consideration what is at stake and sign the document. It’s not an unreasonable request.


Editorial WritingRegional • 2016




Leaguetown High School has 3,400 students enrolled in grades 9-12. This

spring Superintendent Etta Kinkaid proposed the school district buy a program

to track daily student attendance for the high school. If the board approves the

$300,000 purchase, students would receive new identification cards at the begin-

ning of the school year. The IDs would have a bar code on the back, and the

students would scan themselves into each class daily. Teachers would no longer

take attendance. Additionally, parents would have the option of signing up for

a text messaging system that would alert them if their child was absent or tardy

from a class within 15 minutes of the class starting.

The average daily attendance for the high school is 92 percent, which means

roughly 300 students are absent each day, costing the district approximately

$6,000 a day. This year the high school has 185 instructional days. That works

out to more than a $1 million loss for the school district each year in state funds.

Kinkaid said she believes the tracking software will decrease absences enough to

pay for itself in one year. A school district in Minnesota piloted the program this

fall, and its attendance rate rose from 91 to 96 percent in three months. It is the

only school district to use the program this year.

Kinkaid will present the proposal to purchase the tracking program at the

next school board meeting, Wednesday, April 27. Teachers overwhelmingly sup-

port the purchase. Students, on the other hand, have expressed some concern.

The Student Council officers surveyed approximately 500 students during lunch,

and 95 percent of the students surveyed did not support the tracking program.

You are writing for the issue of the Press to be distributed Monday, April 25.

THOSE SUPPORTING THE PROGRAMThe program improves accountability and has the potential to save the district

millions of dollars. Students also will be in control of their attendance. No more

teacher error. Parents can receive information almost immediately if their child

is tardy or absent.

THOSE OPPOSING THE PROGRAMThe $300,000 price tag is too costly for a program with very limited data to

support the program’s claim on improving attendance. Plus, alerting mommy and

daddy everytime junior is late to class is overkill. Schools should prepare students

for adulthood and independence.

■ ETTA KINKAID, superintendent“Frankly, there isn’t a lot of data on this attendance tracking program be-

cause it’s so new. But I don’t want to wait for more data when our average daily

attendance is so low. We are 3 percentage points below the state average, and

2016 REGIONAL EDITORIAL • PAGE 2

our administrators and teachers have tried multiple strategies to improve attendance. Nothing has worked. I

think this will, and so do our teachers. If parents are notified promptly that their child is absent from a class,

they can act and get the child to school. And if students know parents will know, then maybe they will stop

skipping altogether. We have to raise our attendance rates.

“The cost is actually quite economical. If we have the same success as the school district in Minnesota,

then we will recoup the cost of the program in the first year. That doesn’t sound too costly to me at all.”

■ KEVIN GEE, math teacher“The faculty saw a presentation on this program, and we all loved it. Students simply scan their ID when

they enter the class, and the system does all the rest. Within 15 minutes of class starting, the system will

either text or email parents that their child is tardy or absent. No more teacher phone calls or late robocalls

from the district when a student is absent. The beauty of the thing is, the students control it. They check

themselves in. During the presentation, we also saw how students manually enter their student number if

they forget their ID card. It is a bit time-consuming, but not nearly as time-consuming as the current system.”

■ MARCUS JACKSON, junior and Student Council treasurer“This year the superintendent cut all field trips and three fun elective classes — creative writing, animation

and video game development. If she wants to increase attendance, she should bring those things back. And

how can we have money to pay for the tracking program when we can’t go on a single field trip?”

■ DAISEY FONTANEZ, sophomore“Students skip because they are bored and hate school. Making students scan themselves into class like

prison isn’t going to improve attendance. If anything, it will make some students hate school more. The

superintendent should use that $300,000 to do something fun for the school like bring back field trips, or

maybe she could give cash incentives to students for improving attendance.”

■ VIRGIL SHAKER, parent“The PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) sent an email about this new program last week. It’s a great idea

and sounds well worth the money. The robocall system the district has is antiquated and unreliable. Last se-

mester, my daughter skipped English on a Monday, and I didn’t get a call until that Friday. I love the student

accountability with this system. I guarantee my daughter will think twice about skipping if she knows I will

get a text within 15 minutes of her doing it.”

REGIONAL• 2016EDITORIAL WRITING CONTEST TIPS AND SAMPLE EDITORIALS


1. Lead with a statement of the situation and then take a clear, definite staff stance. The situation is whether to purchase a new attendance tracking program for the high school. Do you support the system or not?

2. As a general rule, use third person. If you must use a pronoun, use first person plural (“we,” mean-ing “we, the newspaper staff”). Do not use first person singular (I, me, mine) or second person (you). Avoid unnecessary use of pronouns. Rather than “We believe the district should...,” write instead, “The district should.”


4. Look for the future angle. Your paper comes out before the school board makes his decision.





9. Don’t clutter up the editorial with cliches or trite phrases such as “the system is stupid” or any varia-tion thereof. Also, edit out the name of the school unless it is necessary for clarity. It isn’t necessary to say “Leaguetown Independent School Regional” or “Leaguetown High School.” Students know the name of the school. They don’t need to be reminded.

DO NOT DISTRIBUE TO STUDENTS BEFORE OR DURING THE CONTEST

SAMPLE EDITORIAL/OPPOSINGIn hopes of improving attendance, Superintendent Etta Kinkaid proposed a new attendance track-

ing program where students check themselves in and parents can be notified within 15 minutes if their child is tardy or absent for that class. The school board will hear about the proposal Wednesday.

An expensive tracking program is not the way to increase attendance. The board should reject the proposal.

The attendance tracking program will cost the district $300,000. That’s a lot of money to fork over when the district cut all field trips and three elective classes. If the school wants to increase at-tendance, cutting the fun stuff and adding more procedures is not the way to entice students back into the building.

Plus, the program does not have substantial data to back up its claim of improving attendance. Only one school district has ever even used the program. It got solid results, but one test school is hardly substantial data. The district needs to wait until the company can provide successful results from multiple schools that mirror the population here.

While parents should be notified when their child skips school, they don’t need their cell phones buzzing every time their children is tardy to class. Students need to be responsible for themselves, or at least, starting to learn that skill. Parents don’t need to intervene when their child was simply late because of the bathroom pit stop.

Finally, don’t forget technology isn’t fool-proof, and students are smart. Proponents of the tracking system say it will hold students more accountable. Students will be in charge of their own reporting. Yes and no. They may be in charge of checking themselves in and a few of their friends who decided not to come to class that day.

If improving attendance is the goal, then administrators need to talk to students who skip and find out why. If students are skipping because they don’t like school, then the administration should use that $300,000 to make school more enticing. Maybe students with improved attendance could earn sporting events tickets or field trip passes. Anything. Because anything would make the school more enticing than a tracking program. Dumping this proposal should be an easy call for the school board.


SAMPLE EDITORIAL/SUPPORTING With daily attendance rates trailing the state average by 3 percentage points, Superintendent

Etta Kinkaid has proposed purchasing a $300,000 attendance tracking program for the high school to reduce absences. For the program, students would use identification cards to scan themselves into each class daily.

When the school board hears Wednesday about the proposal, it should ignore the students who are whining and complaining about the program and jump on board.

Students are grumbling that school isn’t fun and that the new program will make the school feel like a prison, but it’s hard to have an opinion about school when you’re not here. And no one promised students a “fun” school experience. Students attend school to learn, not to be entertained.

And then there’s the price tag that has some in a fit. They obviously haven’t done their math. The $300,000 cost for the program is quite economical since the low attendance rates are costing the district up to $6000 a day right now. If attendance improves just a few percentage points, then the district will recoup its money in one year. Do the math. It adds up.

After the program pays for itself the first year, the extra money from the state could pay for the field trips and elective classes that have been cancelled.

And no doubt improvement in attendance will happen. With the new program, parents who sign up will be notified within 15 minutes of class starting that their child is absent or tardy. The current district robocalls for absences are outdated and often delayed. Real-time information will allow parents to call little Johnny or little Sue and tell them to get their body back to school now.

Opponents of the program say the program will make school even more unpalatable for students. Why? Scanning a bar code is not an invasion of privacy. It’s not torture. It’s not even hard. It has no impact on the curriculum or teacher. It’s simply a method of holding students accountable for their attendance. Students should embrace this program — no more teacher error. They are in charge of themselves.

The goal is to improve attendance, and this program is the answer. Although only one other school district has tried this program, the success was substantial — from 91 to 96 percent attendance rate in only three months. That’s the kind of increase the school needs to see. The board should do more than just listen on Wednesday. It should approve the funds for this program and move the district forward.


Editorial WritingState • 2016




Leaguetown High School has 1,400 students enrolled in grades 9-12. For the first time in the school’s history, the girls’ varsity softball team is headed to the UIL State Softball Tournament next week. Yesterday, Principal Tobias Shazo sus-pended senior April Garrido, the starting catcher, from the tournament for her tweet of a picture of a cartoon depicting a hand holding a lit marijuana cigarette with “Time to Chill” written under the photo. Garrido posted the tweet from her home computer. Garrido is the leading hitter on the softball team and has started every game this season.

Garrido tweeted an apology to Shazo after the suspension saying she was “only kidding and didn’t use good judgment.” She also tweeted that she would agree to any drug test to prove she was drug-free.

Both the head varsity softball coach and Garrido’s parents are appealing the suspension to Superintendent Misty Renfro. Renfro said she will meet with the parents and coach Rachel Townes Tuesday, May 31. You are writing for the issue of the Press to be distributed Monday, May 30.

THOSE SUPPORTING THE SUSPENSIONAll student athletes sign a conduct contract to participate on a school team.

The tweet violates the Athletic Conduct Contract.

THOSE OPPOSING THE SUSPENSIONGarrido did not send the tweet from a school computer nor during school

hours. There is a constitutional issue. Garrido also did not mention her team or the school in the tweet.

■ TOBIAS SHAZO, principal“I am confident the superintendent will back me on this decision. We can

not have our athletes promoting illegal substances. They are role models, and that is why we have them sign a clear and easy to understand conduct contract, which states the athlete will not use alcohol or illegal drugs and the athlete will represent the team, school and community in a positive manner at all times. The consequences for violating the contract include but are not limited to game suspension and team suspension.”

■ APRIL GARRIDO, senior“I messed up. I know that. I was trying to be funny. I didn’t think about the

consequences. My big brother’s friend at college sent me the picture after we won the second game at regionals. He knew I was super stressed out about the tournament and making it to state. I copied the picture and put it in my tweet. It was just a joke. I never even thought Mr. Shazo would see it.

2016 STATE EDITORIAL • PAGE 2

“I don’t smoke marijuana. I don’t drink alcohol. Heck, I don’t even drink caffeine. I am a serious athlete, and I know what those things can do to your body. It’s not worth it. I apologized immediately to Mr. Shazo when he called me into his office. I apologized again with a tweet. I understand there should be consequences for my behavior, but I hope this one misjudgment is seen in context to everything else I’ve done in my four years here.”

■ GUS GARRIDO, April’s father“I am disappointed that April chose to tweet the photo of the marijuana cigarette. It wasn’t good judg-

ment, but it certainly wasn’t so bad that she should be suspended from the state tournament. That’s over the top. My daughter has worked her entire high school career to get to this tournament. We hope Dr. Renfro will be more reasonable about her punishment.”

■ RACHEL TOWNES, varsity softball coach“April is our team captain. She’s one of two seniors. She’s our best hitter and our best catcher. Can we

win without her? I don’t know. She doesn’t just bring her skills to the team. She brings leadership. When we were down 4-1 in the first game of the regional playoffs, it was April who called a timeout to give a moti-vational talk to the team. She has a gift both on and off the field. She deserves to play in this tournament. She made a dumb mistake. She’s apologized. That should be enough.”

■ RHONDA ANTLER, cheerleader sponsor“I understand that everyone wants April to play in the state tournament. Everyone wants a win, but the

superintendent should not overrule Mr. Shazo. Last year my head cheerleader was not allowed to participate in our national competition because she posted a Facebook picture of herself holding a beer. She wasn’t drinking the beer — she was just holding it. Mr. Shazo suspended her from the competition. Her parents and I appealed the decision to Dr. Renfro, who upheld the decision. I don’t see how this situation is any different. I know Dr. Renfro is getting pressure from school board members and the athletic staff because they want to win a UIL State Championship, but at what cost? What message are we sending to our student body if we allow this athlete to break the conduct contract?”

■ ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONThe cheerleader who was suspended from the national competition last year was wearing her school

cheerleader uniform when the picture of her holding a beer was taken.

State• 2016editorial Writing ConteSt tipS and Sample editorialS


1. Lead with a statement of the situation and then take a clear, definite staff stance. The situation is whether to lift a softball player’s suspension to allow her to play in the state game. Do you sup-port this or not?

2. As a general rule, use third person. If you must use a pronoun, use first person plural (“we,” mean-ing “we, the newspaper staff”). Do not use first person singular (I, me, mine) or second person (you). Avoid unnecessary use of pronouns. Rather than “We believe the district should...,” write instead, “The district should.”


4. Look for the future angle. Your paper comes out before the superintendent makes her decision.





9. Don’t clutter up the editorial with cliches or trite phrases such as “the suspension is stupid” or any variation thereof. Also, edit out the name of the school unless it is necessary for clarity. It isn’t neces-sary to say “Leaguetown Independent School District” or “Leaguetown High School.” Students know the name of the school. They don’t need to be reminded.

DO NOT DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS BEFORE OR DURING THE CONTEST

SAMPLE EDITORIAL/OPPOSINGApparently, it’s not okay for athletes to make even small errors in judgment anymore. Principal

Tobias Shazo suspended senior April Garrido from the UIL State Softball Tournament after she tweeted a cartoon depicting a hand holding a marijuana cigarette with “Time to Chill” written under it.

Garrido, the leading hitter and starting catcher for the varsity team, sent the tweet from her home computer after her team won the second game during the regional tournament.

Shazo overreacted and needs to “chill out.” When Superintendent Misty Renfro meets with Gar-rido’s parents and coach Rachel Townes tomorrow, she should lift the suspension and offer a less severe consequence.

It’s true that athletes sign a conduct contract that prohibits them from using drugs and alcohol and requires the athlete to represent the school in a positive light, but the tweet doesn’t violate either of these requirements. It wasn’t Garrido’s hand in the photo. She wasn’t using drugs. In fact, the tweet wasn’t even a real human hand. It was just a cartoon hand, which wasn’t connected to the school or softball team in any form or fashion.

The superintendent also needs to remember that the tweet was not sent during school hours nor was it sent from a school computer. When athletes sign the conduct contract, they do not sign away their First Amendment rights. The contract does not obliterate their freedom of speech. While April might not have used the best message and artwork for her tweet, she has a right to express herself without it being connected to the school or team.

Sure, Garrido used poor judgment when sending the tweet, but she meant it as a joke. Immediately after meeting with Shazo, Garrido apologized and agreed to a drug test, saying she doesn’t even drink caffeine. Shazo’s punishment for a small error in judgment is too harsh. Garrido didn’t tweet a photo of herself holding drugs. She didn’t post a statement saying she was “high.” She tweeted a joke after helping her team win a very important game on the road to the state tournament.

The superintendent needs to offer a more reasonable punishment for Garrido. Maybe she can talk with elementary students about the importance of living without drugs or alcohol or maybe she can help the district develop social media training so incidents like this don’t happen in the future. The superintendent has an opportunity to take a bad decision and turn it into a life-changing opportunity for more than just April Garrido.


SAMPLE EDITORIAL/SUPPORTINGPrincipal Tobias Shazo has it right. Athletes should be held to a higher standard. In fact, athletes

agree to that when they sign the Athletic Conduct Contract.Shazo is catching heat after he suspended the leading hitter and starting catcher on the softball

team, April Garrido, from the UIL State Softball Tournament for tweeting a cartoon depicting a hand holding a marijuana cigarette with “Time to Chill” written under it.

This act clearly violates the conduct contract, and Shazo was correct in suspending Garrido. Now when Superintendent Misty Renfro meets with Garrido’s parents and the varsity softball coach tomor-row, she needs to uphold Shazo’s decision.

All athletes, including Garrido, sign a contract that states the athlete will not use alcohol or illegal drugs and the athlete will represent the team, school and community positively at all times. Tweeting a photo of an illegal drug is not representing the team, school or community in a positive light at all. Garrido is the captain of the softball team. Any tweet she makes is a representation of the team and the school.

The contract clearly states that any violation could lead to game or team suspension. Garrido under-stood this when she signed the contact. It should not be a shock to anyone that she was suspended.

Garrido apologized for the tweet and said she would take a drug test to show she doesn’t use drugs. That is not what is in question here. Garrido’s apology does not take away the impact of the tweet. As a school leader and star athlete, Garrido’s opinion carries weight. She is a role model to other teens and younger students in the community. Tweeting a photo of marijuana is not a joke. Marijuana is il-legal. Drug use is never a joke.

Opponents of Shazo say the punishment is too harsh since Garrido didn’t use a school computer to post the tweet, but students could use school computers to see her tweet and get the message that marijuana helps “chill you out.”

Garrido forfeited her rights to be at the state tournament when she hit the “tweet” button on her computer. The superintendent must uphold Shazo’s decision. Even though it may not be the most popular decision, it is the right thing to do.


1A EDITORIAL On Tuesday, Superintendent Misty Renfro will meet with the parents and

coach of senior April Garrido to determine a possible punishment for Garrido’s violation of the Athletic Conduct Contract. Garrido recently tweeted a cartoon picture of a hand holding a lit marijuana cigarette, and Principal Tobias Shazo suspended her from the softball state tournament games.

Superintendent Renfro must carry out the suspension. Garrido clearly violated the Athletic Conduct Contract. Every student athlete

reads and signs the contract and should understand the consequences. Garrido has no excuse. As starting catcher for the girls’ softball team, the school should have high expectations for Garrido, but Superintendent Renfro cannot let expectations cloud the truth. Renfro must stay true to the contract and carry out the suspension.

Leaguetown High School has a reputation of honesty and decency, letting even one student off the hook for any misdemeanor would damage the school’s name. Past issues similar to this have ended up in punishment, and this case should not differ. Superintendent Renfro should not tolerate the promotion of an illegal substance, no matter the motives.

Opponents believe the suspension has a constitutional issue since Garrido did not send the tweet on a school computer, and she did not mention her team or the school. This issue focuses on a school-‐related contract, not the American Constitution. Garrido has a written commitment to her school and her team, which she violated. Superintendent Renfro must uphold the contract and carry out the punishment.

Garrido should own up to what she did and understand the consequences. Superintendent Renfro must suspend Garrido in order to keep Leaguetown respectable.

2A EDITORIAL After senior April Garrido tweeted a picture of a cartoon showing a hand

holding a lit marijuana cigarette with the caption “Time to Chill,” Principal Tobias Shazo suspended her from the state softball tournament. Garrido’s parents and coach will meet with Superintendent Misty Renfro to appeal the suspension tomorrow.

Renfro should grant the appeal and allow Garrido to play at the state tournament.

Shazo’s decision does not punish only Garrido, but the entire softball team. For the first time in school history, the girls earned a trip to the state tournament. They have the chance to accomplish something that would benefit the school and community. Students and community members alike rally behind successful sports teams and set aside differences to support them. Shazo has no right to deprive the team of their chance of winning by suspending their starting catcher.

Besides being the team’s leading batter, Garrido is a leader on the field. When they were down 4-‐1 in their first regional playoff game, she called a timeout to motivate her teammates. One of only two seniors on the team, Garrido has worked her entire high school career to make it to the state tournament. As a serious athlete,

2016 Editorial State ChampionsBethany Coile, Happy HS

Morgan Knobloch, Archer City HS

she doesn’t smoke marijuana or drink alcohol. Her tweet, meant to be a joke, was simply a lapse in judgment.

In addition, Garrido’s tweet did not have any direct ties to the school. She posted it from her personal computer and made no mention of the team or the school. If her suspension stands, Shazo would need to suspend every athlete who has posted something on social media that contains profanity, innuendos or substance abuse.

Those supporting Shazo’s decision say Garrido should be suspended because she signed the Athletic Conduct Contract; the contract, however, is not limited to suspension. If Shazo insists Garrido be punished, she could receive detention or do community service instead.

Since this is her first violation of the contract, Garrido does not deserve suspension. Renfro must overrule Shazo and allow Garrido to lead her team in the state tournament.

3A EDITORIAL Senior April Garrido was suspended from the UIL State Softball Tournament

by Principal Tobias Shazo after tweeting a picture of a cartoon depicting a hand holding a lit marijuana cigarette. Both head varsity softball coach Rachel Townes and Garrido’s parents are appealing the suspension to Superintendent Misty Renfro tomorrow.

When Renfro meets with Townes and Garrido’s parents, she should withdraw the suspension.

Garrido did not send the tweet from a school computer, nor did she tweet the picture during school hours; furthermore, Garrido did not mention her team or the school when she sent the tweet. The picture was meant as a joke, and Garrido never intended for Shazo to see it. Moreover, Garrido tweeted an apology to Shazo after the suspension, taking full responsibility for her actions, admitting that she did not use good judgment.

This is the first time in school history that the girls’ softball team is advancing to the state tournament. Garrido is the best hitter, catcher, a team captain and one of only two seniors on the team and deserves to play at the tournament. Garrido has worked her entire high school career to advance to the state tournament, and claims to not smoke marijuana, drink alcohol or even caffeine because she knows the consequences and damage it could have on her athletic career. Suspending Garrido for a post that has no affiliation with the school is too extreme.

Those supporting the suspension say last year the head cheerleader was suspended from the national cheer competition by Shazo because she posted a picture on Facebook holding a beer and believe this situation is no different. However, this was a cartoon image of a marijuana cigarette, while the cheerleader was in the picture with her school cheerleader uniform on, which directly reflects back on the school. Garrido takes full responsibility for her actions, and if this one misjudgment is seen in context to her four years, suspending her from the entire tournament reveals to be quite a harsh punishment.

Since there are such opposing sides, a solution can be made: suspend Garrido from the first game of the tournament series. This way, she is being reasonably

Evagail Calvert, Grandview HS

punished for her actions, but she is not letting her team and the rest of the school down by not playing.

Renfro should withdraw the suspension and consider a different punishment because this is too harsh of a punishment and has consequences that potentially affect an entirely blameless team, not just Garrido.

4A EDITORIAL April Garrido was suspended from the UIL State Softball Tournament next

week by Principal Tobias Shazo for tweeting a picture of a lit marijuana cigarette with the caption “Time to Chill.” Although this tweet shows a lack of judgment, Garrido should not be suspended from the state tournament.

The head softball coach and Garrido’s parents will be meeting with Superintendent Misty Renfro on Tuesday to appeal the suspension.

Garrido’s tweet only shows a hand holding a marijuana cigarette. It does not depict her actually using an illegal substance.

The tweet was sent from a home computer after school hours, and neither the team nor the school were mentioned in it. The tweet in no way reflects badly on the school. Garrido realized her mistake and has taken accountability for her actions. She apologized privately to Shazo and publicly on Twitter.

Garrido is the starting catcher on her softball team and the leading hitter. She is also the team captain. Her suspension will not only harm her but also the rest of the varsity softball team.

Those who support the suspension say that Garrido broke the Athletic Code of Conduct and that her punishment is justifiable. Yet, the tweet does not show Garrido actually using any illegal substances, so she is not in violation of the code.

Instead of being suspended from the state tournament, Garrido could have some alternate form of punishment such as extended day or punishment during her athletic period.

Although Garrido’s tweet was a bad decision, the suspension from the state tournament is too harsh of a punishment. On Tuesday, the superintendent should override Shazo’s decision and allow Garrido to play.

5A EDITORIAL Superintendent Misty Renfro will meet with senior April Garrido’s parents

and varsity softball coach Rachel Townes on Tuesday to determine whether or not Garrido’s suspension will be lifted for the UIL State Softball Tournament next week. Garrido was suspended for posting a cartoon picture of a hand holding a lit marijuana cigarette on Twitter with the caption “Time to Chill.”

Garrido’s suspension should remain intact for the overall consistency of school policy and student participation in school events.

All athletes must sign a mandatory conduct contract to become eligible to compete on any of the school’s teams. The Athletic Conduct Contract states that athletes will not use alcohol or illegal drugs, and the athlete will represent the team, school and community in a positive manner at all times. Whether or not Garrido actually smoke a marijuana cigarette is irrelevant, as her tweet violated the contract by misrepresenting the school and the team. The consequences of violating the

Michaela Priess, Fredericksburg HS

Adrienne Parks, Lindale HS

policy, suspension from a game and/or a team, are clearly stated in the contract and thus made known to all athletes.

Townes and Garrido’s parents appealed to the suspension because the softball team will be competing at a state competition next week, but Garrido should not be shown any favoritism or exception to the rule regardless of that fact. If Garrido’s suspension were to be lifted, it would open up the door for any parents and students to protest suspensions or expulsions for the same or other reasons. Any exception to the rule would not maintain impartiality and could provoke issues concerning congruency among students.

The opposition claims that Garrido’s suspension should be lifted because her tweet was not sent from a school computer, the post was not made during school hours and the school nor the team was mentioned in the post. However, the contract Garrido signed states that athletes represent the school and team at all times. This means that regardless of whether or not Garrido mentioned the school, she is still a member of the team. Therefore, she constantly represents said team and is responsible for her actions and the consequences thereof.

Sports teams typically have alternate players or players who can substitute for others when injuries or suspension occurs. Townes can substitute a player for Garrido so that the team is still capable of competing in the tournament, and all school contracts and policies are upheld without special exception.

Renfro should not accommodate the appeal from Garrido’s parents and coach so that the school’s credibility and the equality for all students will remain intact.

6A EDITORIAL Following Principal Tobias Shazo’s decision to suspend senior April Garrido

from the UIL State Softball Tournament, both head varsity coach Rachel Townes and Garrido’s parents have appealed the punishment to Superintendent Misty Renfro. They will meet tomorrow.

Renfro should overrule Shazo’s decision and allow Garrido to play in the State Tournament.

The suspension stems from a tweet of a picture of a cartoon that Garrido posted, which depicted a hand holding a lit marijuana cigarette with the caption “Time to Chill” written under the photo. The tweet, however, was not sent from a school computer or during school hours. It was instead sent from Garrido’s home computer. The suspension is a violation of freedom of speech and an overreach of the principal’s power. If the photo had been tweeted from an official account associated with the school, the suspension would be justified. Garrido stated that the tweet was just a joke and that she never thought Shazo would see it. However, Shazo’s overextension of his powers instead led to a suspension and an infringement on constitutional rights.

In regards to the tweet, Garrido has already apologized for her actions. She acknowledged that her tweet was not made in good judgment and apologized to Shazo both in his office and with a follow-‐up tweet. In addition, Garrido has also tweeted that she would agree to any drug test to prove that she was drug-‐free. If she did use illegal substances, it is probable that she would not have agreed to such a test.

Anthony Robles, Mesquite HS

Lastly, the suspension should be overruled because it is not only harming Garrido, but the entire softball team. Garrido started every game this season and has been a vital cog in the softball engine. She is also a team captain and one of two seniors on the team. To suspend her during the biggest games of the season for a tweet that she has acknowledged as a dumb mistake would be a detriment to the team, for Garrido is also their main motivational force.

Supporters of the suspension say it is necessary in order to keep punishments consistent across the board. Last year, the head cheerleader was suspended from a national competition because she posted a Facebook picture that showed her with a beer in hand. She was not drinking from it, but merely holding it. However, the difference between the two situations is clear. The suspended cheerleader was wearing her school cheerleader uniform in the Facebook picture, while Garrido was not portrayed in the picture that she tweeted. The cheerleader was in clear violation of the Athletic Conduct Contract because she was promoting an illegal substance while in school uniform.

The punishment for Garrido is simply excessive. Shazo could have instead given her a warning over the dangers of posting inappropriate material to social media. However, since the main purpose of school is to receive an education, he could have used this situation as a teachable moment. Shazo could have organized a school meeting and reiterated why it is important to monitor what is posted on social media, using Garrido’s tweet as a prime example. Instead, he chose to punish the softball team’s leading hitter and starting catcher right before the school’s first shot at the UIL State Softball title.

When Garrido’s parents and Coach Townes meet with Superintendent Renfro tomorrow, they should convince her to overturn the suspension. Garrido should be allowed to participate in the tournament that she has been working towards all her life.

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