Journalism Teacher of the Year

MIJA continues to recognize outstanding journalism teachers with the state Journalism Teacher of the Year program. MIJA wishes to honor outstanding high school advisers and their exemplary work throughout their careers.

In the past, high school editors and other journalism students initiated the nomination process, and if they would like to continue to do so, they may certainly bring this recognition to their teacher’s attention. However, in an effort to align with the national awards, MIJA will now encourage teachers to nominate themselves and include at least one letter of recommendation from current or former student(s).

ELIGIBILITY:

Nominees must be teaching at a MIJA member school.
Teacher must have at least three years of experience.

The components of the Missouri JTOY process closely align with those of several national Teacher of the Year programs, including:

JEA’s Broadcast Adviser of the Year
JEA’s H.L. Hall National Yearbook Adviser of the Year
CSPA’s National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year, formerly sponsored by Dow Jones News Fund
among others sponsored on the national level.

The Missouri Journalism Teacher of the Year will be encouraged to submit materials to the national competition, should s/he wish to do so.

TO APPLY:

The nominee should submit an application, proof of publication(s) and supporting materials to the judge and the MIJA office using our online submission form:

Application: Journalism Teacher of the Year
- After the general application questions, there are different portions based on what publication(s) you advise. Please complete each section matching the type of media or publication(s) you advise. If you advise multiple publications, please complete all applicable portions.
- Complete the online submission form.
Proof of publications:
- Broadcast teachers: Inside the application, please provide links to six videos/shows your students produced in the last year.
- Yearbook teachers: When submitting supporting materials, please provide a single PDF file with the following pages/spreads from your most recently published yearbook: cover, front endsheet or table of contents, title page, opening spread(s), one divider, one index spread, one people spread, colophon, closing, up to five spreads of inside coverage of your choosing.
- Newspaper/Newsmagazine teachers: When submitting supporting materials, please include three issues of the publication from the last year in PDF form or in a list of weblinks to the publication stored online (on a site similar to Issuu.com).
- Online teachers: Inside the application, please provide web links to at least six stories and/or packages produced by your students in the past year, as well as the main URL for your site.
- If you advise more than one publication, please include the examples requested above for each publication.
Required support:
- Current headshot
- A one-page resume of the nominee
- A one-page letter of recommendation from a current or former student
- Students: Please address how this teacher contributed to journalism excellence in your school and raised the level of your journalism program. Consider points such as: What this teacher has done to increase your desire to continue in journalism, how s/he increased respect for your publication, how s/he supports and promotes journalism education on a local and state level and how s/he continues to increase his/her professional competence.
- Upload each to the online submission form with your application
You may choose to add optional* supporting documents, which would help the judge make a decision:
- Candid photo of the teacher instructing or working with students
- Up to four additional one-page letters of recommendation from colleagues, administrators and/or students/former students. Please merge all letters into a single .PDF.
- Copies of articles or links to articles about or by the nominee (limit four)
- Please scan and upload as PDF or JPG files to the online submission form

* The optional supporting materials are required at the national level but not for the state level.

SUBMIT MATERIALS using our Online Submission Form

DEADLINE: Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025

The honoree and/or the nominator will be invited to prepare a 30-second acceptance video to run at the spring Journalism Day.

If you can think of anyone who would be willing to sponsor our Teacher of the Year, please email [email protected], so we can reach out to them.

Criteria will include each teacher’s service in journalism organizations, personal and publication awards, quality of the student work, their philosophy and approach to student press rights and ethics, among other aspects.

QUESTIONS: If you have questions about the process, please contact the MIJA office at [email protected].

Past state honorees include:

1970 – Ron Clemons, Truman High School, Independence
1971 – Charlotte Bell Conley, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood
1972 – Mar’Lyn Cowan, Parkview High School, Springfield
1973 – H.L. Hall, Kirkwood North Junior High School, Kirkwood
1974 – Helen Brakke-Buel, Jefferson City Senior High School, Jefferson City
1975 – Linda Smith Puntney, William Chrisman High School, Independence
1976 – Elizabeth Ray, Adrian High School, Adrian
1977 – Opal Heatherly, Westport High School, Kansas City
1978 – Howard Emerson, Hazelwood Central High School, Florissant
1979 – Elizabeth Lockhart, Central High School, Cape Girardeau
1980 – Deanna Armstrong, Park Hill High School, Kansas City
1981 – Al Hoffmeyer, Carrollton High School, Carrollton, MO
1982 – W. Michael Brown, William Chrisman High School, Independence
1983 – Carole Wall, Grandview High School, Grandview
1984 – Mary Lu Foreman, Center Senior High School, Kansas City
1985 – Diane Boyle, Parkway Central High School, Chesterfield
1986 – Kathy Craghead, Mexico High School, Mexico
1987 – Marcia Johnson, Park Hill High School, Kansas City
1988 – Sandy Newcomer, Mount Vernon High School, Mt. Vernon
1989 – Chris McMenemy, Liberty High School, Liberty
1990 – Anita Campbell, Warsaw High School, Warsaw
1991 – Debbie Von Behren, Mansfield High School, Mansfield
1992 – Jan Morgan, Advance High School, Advance
1993 – Mark Bubalo, Rockhurst High School, Kansas City
1994 – Jan Hensel, Liberty High School, Liberty
1995 – Karen Black, Hickman Mills High School, Kansas City
1996 – Bill Hankins, Oak Park High School, Kansas City
1997 – Robin Fuemmeler Stover, Rock Bridge High School, Columbia
1998 – Karen Ray, Glendale High School, Springfield
1999 – Lisa Scroggs, Jefferson City Senior High School, Jefferson City
2000 – Marci Pieper, Clayton High School, St. Louis
2001 – Bruce Schneider, Parkway South High School, St. Louis
2002 – Beth Ann Brady, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis
2003 – Marc Russell, Lee’s Summit High School, Lee’s Summit
2004 – Terry Durnell, Lee’s Summit North High School, Lee’s Summit
2005 – Nancy Freeman, Clayton High School, St. Louis
2006 – Karla Thompson, Lee’s Summit High School, Lee’s Summit
2007 – Stephanie Carey (Green), Boonville High School, Booneville
2008 – Eric Thomas, St. Teresa’s Academy, Kansas City
2009 – Christina Geabhart, Oak Park High School, Kansas City
2010 – Matthew Schott, Francis Howell Central High School, St. Charles
2011 – Ben Merithew, Truman High School, Independence
2012 – Michele Dunaway, Francis Howell High School, St. Charles
2013 – Megan Hughes (Palmer), Park Hill South High School, Riverside
2015 – Michelle Turner, Washington High School, Washington
2016 – Cherié Burgett, Staley High School, Kansas City
2017 – Jane Bannester, Ritenour High School, St. Louis
2018 – Clay Zigler, Rockwood Summit High School, Fenton
2019 – —-
2020 – Justin Ford, Park Hill High School, Kansas City, and Park Hill South High School, Riverside
2021 – —-
2022 – Mary Prichard, North Kansas City High School, Kansas City
2023 – Karen Johnson, Lawson High School, Lawson
2024 – Laura Greenley, Knox Country R-1 High School, Edina

Past national honorees include:

Dow Jones News Fund’s National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year (If you know of others, please email):

1963 – Opal Eckert, Maryville High School, Maryville
1969 – Virginia Woodring*, School District of Springfield
1977 – Ron Clemons, Truman High School, Independence
1982 – Homer L. Hall, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood
2003 – Distinguished Adviser Marc Russell, Lee’s Summit High School
2004 – Special Recognition Adviser Clay Zigler, Rockwood Summit High School, Fenton
2009 – Distinguished Adviser Christina Geabhart, Oak Park High School, Kansas City
2011 – Aaron Manfull, Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles
2013 – Special Recognition Adviser Michele Dunaway, Francis Howell High School, St. Charles
2015 – Mitch Eden, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood
2016 – Special Recognition Adviser Cherié Burgett, Staley High School, Kansas City
2019 – Distinguished Adviser Debra Klevens, Parkway West High School, St. Louis

JEA’s Broadcast Adviser of the Year:

2014 – Distinguished Broadcast Adviser Don Goble, LHS-TV and Films, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis
2014 – Special Recognition Broadcast Adviser Michelle Turner, Blue Jay Journal TV, Washington High School, Washington
2015 – Don Goble, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis
2015 – Distinguished Broadcast Adviser Dave Davis, Hillcrest High School, Springfield
2016 – Michelle Turner, Washington High School, Washington
2017 – Distinguished Broadcast Adviser Christina Geabhart, Oak Park High School, Kansas City
2017 – Special Recognition Broadcast Adviser Jane Bannester, Ritenour High School, St. Louis
2017 – Distinguished Broadcast Adviser Jane Bannester, Ritenour High School, St. Louis
2017 – Special Recognition Broadcast Adviser Clay Zigler, Rockwood Summit High School, Fenton
2019 – Christina Geabhart, Oak Park High School, Kansas City
2021 – Special Recognition Broadcast Adviser Justin Ford, Park Hill and Park Hill South high schools, Kansas City
2023 – Distinguished Broadcast Adviser Emily Jorgensen, Marquette High School, Chesterfield

JEA’s Yearbook Adviser of the Year:

1995 – H.L. Hall, Kirkwood North Junior High School, Kirkwood
1997 – Special Recognition Adviser Jan Hensel
2000 – Special Recognition Adviser Mary Ann Barton and Marci Pieper
2002 – Distinguished Adviser Kathy Craghead, Mexico High School, Mexico
2003 – Kathy Craghead, Mexico High School, Mexico
2005 – Special Recognition Adviser Aaron Manfull, Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles
2007 – Special Recognition Adviser Nancy Y. Smith, Lafayette High School, Wildwood
2009 – Distinguished Adviser Nancy Y. Smith, Lafayette High School, Wildwood
2010 – Special Recognition Adviser Michele M. Dunaway, MJE, Francis Howell High School, St. Charles
2011 – Special Recognition Adviser Eric Thomas, MJE, St. Teresa’s Academy, Kansas City
2012 – Distinguished Adviser Michele Dunaway, MJE, Francis Howell High School, Saint Charles
2016 – Nancy Y. Smith, MJE, Lafayette High School – Wildwood
2018 – Special Recognition Adviser Debra Klevens, CJE, Parkway West High School – St. Louis
2021 – Distinguished Adviser Debra Klevens, CJE, Parkway West High School – St. Louis
2023 – Special Recognition Adviser Christina Manolis, MJE, Oakville High School – St. Louis

CSPA’s Gold Key:

1954 – Henrietta M. Crotty, Webb City High School, Webb City
1958 – Mary Still, Normandy High School, St. Louis
1965 – Major Charles R. Stripling III, Missouri Military Academy, Mexico
1972 – Sarah Ellen Campbell, William Chrisman High School, Independence
1975 – Elizabeth Barnes, Stephens College, Columbia
1980 – Robert P. Knight, University of Missouri, Columbia
1982 – Ron Clemons, Truman High School, Independence; and Homer L. Hall—Kirkwood High School
1983 – Minerva Spalding Howard, Hickman High School, Columbia
1990 – Laura Beth Widmer, Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville
1996 – Roger Carlson, Florissant Valley Community College, St. Louis
2000 – Mary Ann Barton, Eureka High School, St. Louis
2001 – Clay Zigler, Rockwood Summit High School, Fenton
2003 – Ken Rosenauer, Missouri Western State College, St. Joseph
2009 – Marcella A. Pieper, Clayton High School
2011 – Michele Dunaway, Francis Howell High School, St. Charles
2021 – Debra Klevens, Parkway West High School – St. Louis