Certification - JEA.org | Journalism Education Association

March 17, 2009

New members join Commission

The Certification Commission is pleased to announce Jane Blystone, MJE and Joe Humphrey, MJE as the newest members of the Commission.

“Jane and Joe are incredible advisers with just the kind of expertise we’re looking for on the Commission,” said chairperson Mark Newton. “Joe has a broadcast experience and Jane has exceptional knowledge of teaching, assessment and learning. Both are experienced, dedicated advisers and I know all the members of the Commission will enjoy working with and learning from each of them.”

“The Certification Commission has been working hard to improve all aspects of the program and Jane and Joe, along with the current members are ready for the challenges,” Newton said.

Joe Humphrey, MJE, teaches newspaper, yearbook and broadcast journalism at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Fla. He is president of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, a member of the Journalism Education Association and a frequent speaker at conferences.

Humphrey, also an adjunct journalism instructor at the University of Tampa, is a graduate of the University of South Florida (M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, B.A. in Mass Communications). At USF, he was editor of The Oracle, an award-winning daily newspaper. Prior to teaching, he was a reporter for The Tampa Tribune and The Florida Times-Union. He held reporting internships at the St. Petersburg Times and The Virginian-Pilot

He is married to a fellow teacher, Miriam. They have a 2-year-old son, Andrew.

"It's an honor to join the JEA Certification Commission,” Humphrey said. “I look forward to promoting the benefits of certification, and to working with the commission and other JEA members on ensuring our certification programs demonstrate the best practices we expect of high-performing journalism educators."

Blystone, MJE, began advising student publications in 1973. Serving as a regional director for JEA, she also assists advisers through the JEA Scholastic Press Rights Commission. She served as local chair for the JEA/NSPA Philadelphia convention.

A past president and current board member of Pennsylvania Scholastic Press Association, Blystone has received the JEA Medal of Merit and JEA Special Recognition Yearbook Adviser award. CSPA has honored her with the Gold Key Award and the James F. Paschal Award.

Blystone, who received her doctorate in 1999 and principal certification in 2005, directs the graduate program in secondary education at Mercyhurst College, Erie, Pa. She still participates in public education as a school board director.

“I am extremely excited to join the members of the JEA Certification Commission,” Blystone said. “The Commission provides national certification that supports and recognizes the dynamic work JEA journalism advisers are doing across the country. With the emergence of new technologies and the convergence of many media outlets in the country, this is a crucial time to demonstrate that journalism teachers have changed the face of scholastic journalism. One of my joys as a journalist, teacher and adviser has been to see how highly qualified teachers/advisers guide their students to produce gold standard scholastic media that rival their public media counterparts.”

Blystone replaces Linda Barrington, MJE as a college-level member. Humphrey replaces Nancy Freeman, MJE as a secondary school-level member. Both will serve four-year terms from Jan. 1, 2010 to Jan. 1, 2014.

CLICK HERE to open Certification Commission report given in the spring of 2009 online

CLICK HERE to download PDF version.

Updated Sept. 26, 2009

Goals

Certification will demonstrate that you are qualified to teach journalism and validate the credibility of your program to administrators, parents, fellow teachers, students and others. It will recognize your commitment to journalistic training and provide tangible evidence of your qualifications to remain in journalism education. It recognizes journalism teaching and advising as an academic field worthy of professional status. JEA will notify administrators and local media of your certification. A certificate and pin, as well as your listing in the CJE/MJE Directory, will testify to your qualification. Your listing in the directory also will be an automatic reference for available positions in and opportunities to serve scholastic journalism. The directory will be given to workshop coordinators so they might consider CJE and MJE individuals for workshop positions.

Does this mean journalism teachers and advisers must earn this certification?

No. Designed to recognize teachers with the background and experience necessary to do a good job, this program is entirely voluntary. JEA encourages all journalism educators to be well prepared.

You can qualify for certification under Option B, in which a test substitutes for credits.

State certification, which does not exist in many states, is usually mandatory and based entirely on college credits. Through the test, this program will recognize teachers who have gained knowledge through experience and self-study or from attending convention sessions or non-credit workshops. It also offers national certification whether or not a state program exists. The Master Journalism Educator program recognizes the teacher of unusual ability and expertise, a recognition that state certification cannot provide.

JEA hopes colleges and universities will offer courses and workshops to help teachers meet these requirements. JEA also hopes colleges and universities will realize classes taught by CJEs and MJEs are bona fide English classes and should be accepted as such when determining college admissions.

Application fee is $60 for JEA members, $110 for nonmembers. Fees cover only a portion of administration, judging, mailing and costs of pins and certificates. Other expenses for developing criteria and tests will be covered by JEA. School districts are encouraged to pay the fees for their applicants.

Applicants must complete an application and (1) provide evidence of a valid state teaching certificate, unless one is not required in special instances, and (2) provide evidence of journalistic training from one of two options:

Option A: Copies of transcripts showing a college major or minor in journalism or mass communications, with a course in publications advising or 18 semester (27 quarter) credits of journalism, including course work in news writing and reporting, communications law, and publications advising. Credit may be from undergraduate or graduate courses, workshops, independent (correspondence) study or technology classes. CLICK HERE for a list of colleges and universities that offer these classes.

Option B: Provide evidence of at least three years, minimum, journalism teaching or advising and pass a written examination administered by JEA.

The 2.5-hour, written test requires short responses to 78 questions (50 multiple choice, 20 short answer and eight demonstration) covering 11 of JEA’s Standards for Journalism Educators. CLICK HERE to view a study guide.

Yes, the CJE and MJE exams are now taken on computer at the national conventions. Candidates are allowed to use the computer lab to word process their responses. A safe system has been developed to make sure the exams and responses are secure and reliable. A back-up system also has been implemented "just in case."

CJEs may apply for Master Journalism Educator status, which recognizes journalism teachers with outstanding abilities and expertise in the field.

Application fee is $85 for JEA members, $135 for non-members. This fee is higher than that for CJE because more extensive judging is necessary. School districts are encouraged to pay the fee.

Applications for CJE Option A should be postmarked by Oct. 1 to be announced at the fall convention and by March 1 to be announced at the spring convention. Applications for MJE or CJE using Option B should be postmarked by Oct. 1 to qualify the applicant to take the test at the fall convention and by March 1 to take the test at the spring convention. Test results will be sent six to eight weeks after the test, and applicants will be notified about selection as soon as all application procedures are complete. Successful applicants will be announced at the next convention. CJE award certificates or MJE plaques will be presented at JEA conventions or will be mailed to the recipients.

All test judging will be anonymous. JEA headquarters will assign a number to each test, which will go to a Review Board of judges, who will independently grade the test. A composite score will be given.

The CJE and MJE will be valid for five years and may be renewed by showing evidence of continued professional growth. The renewal fee is $10. If certification is not renewed at the end of five years, it will be considered void.