AASA Member Honored Nationally as Top Supporter of Scholastic Journalism

The Journalism Education Association named Michael G. Richards, superintendent of Harrisonburg City Public Schools in Harrisonburg, Va., its 2024 Administrator of the Year at the association’s national convention in Philadelphia on Nov. 9.

Richards, an AASA member since 2023, has supported the school district’s high school journalism program by allocating more than $50,000 over the past two years to fund students to participate in national conventions. He also has attended conventions as a chaperone and taught sessions with student editors from Harrisonburg High School.

JEA President Val Kibler said: “Richards comes away from each convention inspired by what we do at Harrisonburg High School and inspired to help other administrators get it. As we began our push for New Voices legislation in Virginia a few years ago, Richards was integral in contacting legislators and making a case for student press rights.” Kibler is the adviser of student publications at Harrisonburg HS.