Teachers from across the country are looking for ways to keep journalism and newspaper instruction in schools as budget cuts force many administrators to take the classes off the master schedule.

JoAnn Augustine, a teacher at American Canyon High School in California's Napa Valley, has advised newspaper for two years as a club because she did not have enough students signed up to make it a class.

Teachers like Augustine hold meetings during lunch or after school to put newspapers together. However, she said, it is difficult for teachers to get students to meet during this time.

“Before deadline meetings at lunch, we rarely have the entire staff present,” Augustine said.

Students who are involved in newspaper are often involved in other extracurricular activities. As a result, students will miss meetings and the publication of the newspaper becomes delayed, Augustine said.

Because journalism teaches communications skills such as reading, writing, speaking and listening, Augustine and others work to keep the course in schools to help students gain these skills before heading to college.

Liz Dixon, a teacher at West Lafayette High School in West Lafayette, Ind., has advised The Scarlett newspaper for six years as a club. She offers skills training during a two-day orientation before the school year starts. Her two days consist of lessons including writing, reporting, photography and other key skills.

However, during the school year she had to review lessons during lunch, and it’s hard to get students to listen to a lesson during that time, Dixon said.

This year, her club is becoming a class, giving her more time to teach those skills effectively.  

“If you have a class you can hold a grade over their head if they miss a deadline,” Dixon said.

Those leading news operations as clubs often find that students are not willing to complete the work required because does not count for a grade. Teachers find ways to tie students' work to their grades.

Jeff Richards, a teacher at Grand County High School in Moab, Utah, who has advised newspaper as a club for five years, teaches yearbook as a class and requires his students to contribute to the newspaper for a grade.

“I look at the kids who are on board and expect them to contribute, to come up with a plan,” Richards said.

Richards also enlists those who teach core subjects. He asks English teachers, for example, to offer extra credit to their top students if they write for the newspaper.

It’s been a successful approach for Richards. He has 10-12 students contributing to the newspaper every month even though it is a club.

Aaron Manfull, who as media adviser at Francis Howell North High School in St. Charles, Mo., has advised digital media, including newspaper, for 14 years, said that students need motivation to complete the work.

“Tie grading to it because they are not just going to do it because they think it’s fun,” he said.