Hello everyone, I hope you've all had a lovely spring break.

Here's where things stand.

After reviewing the entire Gretna Public Schools board policy manual, I can confirm what we suspected: there is no policy governing student media anywhere in the district. No guidelines for editorial decisions, no process for resolving disputes, no way for a student journalist to appeal a censorship decision. Nothing. The administration is making these calls with zero written accountability.

That's not how a school district should operate. And that's exactly what this petition is asking them to fix.

I've been in communication with the administration at multiple levels, including the Board of Education. A board member has responded and encouraged us to continue working with the district. We are doing that and preparing to formally appeal the censorship through the proper channels.

What you can do right now: keep sharing. We've seen a major surge in traffic from Facebook over the past week, indicating that parents and community members are paying attention. That's what moves a school board. If you haven't shared the petition with the adults in your life, now is the time. Text it to a parent. Post it on Facebook. Mention it to a neighbor. Every signature from a community member makes this harder for the district to dismiss as a student complaint.

This was never about the politics of one cartoon. It's about whether Gretna Public Schools will put basic protections for student journalists in writing. 342 of you have said they should. Let's keep going.

Nicholas Mitchell
nicholaskmitchell.com