Beth Marshall, CJE

Beth Marshall, CJE, M.Ed., advises yearbook (Endeavor) and currently teaches sophomore English courses, and a dual credit course, Introduction to Mass Communications, at Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Illinois. She has been teaching and advising journalism for the last nine years, and she has taught English for more than 30 years. She is a Certified Journalism Educator, and she earned her Master’s in Media and Journalism, with a Journalism Education concentration through Kent State University in May 2020. Currently, Beth is the President of the Kettle Moraine Press Association, which works with scholastic journalism students and their teachers throughout Northern Illinois and Wisconsin.

What is your approach to recruiting students for your journalism program?

I encourage my staff to promote our program. We try to get as many different voices as possible in our publication. My students will visit English classes to talk about our program. We use our social media and online news site to keep students informed. We also create flyers that explain what you can gain from joining journalism.

How do you go about making sure you recruit diverse students to make sure your program reflects your community?

We are open to all students in grades 10-12.

How has recruiting improved your program?

Kids know what to expect joining the publication.

What challenges have you faced in recruiting students for your program?

Our school is small, so sometimes class conflicts will eliminate interested students. We are able to offer honors credit to students who are in editor positions. Students are allowed to take the course for three years as an elective.

What is your best piece of recruiting advice for other advisers?

Try to show the student body what you are doing throughout the school to create your publication. Let your students' enthusiasm for the program be contagious. We have staff shirts and I create staff locker signs.