MOUNT VERNON — Entering its 10th year, the Newspaper In Education program at the Mount Vernon News is coordinated by Michelle Hartman. Hartman has experience in both newspapers and education, and combines those skills to produce the various NIE pages, study guides and teachers’ guides. An employee of Mount Vernon News, a subsidiary of Progressive Communication Corp., part time since 1989 and full time since 1997, she has worked in several different departments of the newspaper, and also has classroom teaching experience. Hartman received her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Bowling Green State University and earned her Master of Arts in education at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Her thesis was a study of teacher and student attitudes about the Newspaper In Education program.
Both her research and NIE enrollments indicate that teachers and students appreciate the program. Starting with just four teachers and their students, the program now serves 177 teachers and the many young readers in their classes.
Hartman is passionate about the NIE program.
“My goal is to get students to read, and putting newspapers in the classroom is one way to do that,” she said. “Teachers and parents who read and share newspaper articles with children teach them to be interested in learning more about the world around them.
“The students start out with reading the chapter story, for instance, but before long they’re looking through the entire paper. Because it is a local paper, the students often find someone they know. The Job Journey features local people, and a lot of time the pupils are excited to read it. ‘Hey,’ they exclaim, ‘that’s so-and-so’s mom or dad. I know them!’
“Even if the students turn to the comics page, I don’t have a problem with that. If they enjoy that, let them read it. That’s the whole point of the program — to get kids to read.”
Noreen Dye is the assistant coordinator of NIE at the News and has been with the program since 2001. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and NIE benefits from her 12 years of preschool and kindergarten teaching experience. Dye has also served as a consultant for preschool and child guidance workshops and seminars, and was named Knox County Child Advocate of the Year in 1994.
As Hartman’s assistant in the NIE office, Dye is available for teachers if they have questions about the program or related resources, and to help them when they sign up to get newspapers in their classroom. She also keeps track of facts and figures about NIE and its growth, and prepares the newspaper bundles which go to the schools. Dye takes care of many of the program details so Hartman can spend time planning the program, and creating the pages and special sections that make NIE a beneficial literacy program for students.
Dye said she likes being part of a program that promotes literacy.
“The best part about working in the NIE department,” she said, “has to be hearing from both teachers and students about how NIE has become a valuable part of their classroom experience. I enjoy knowing that I have had a small part in encouraging a child to read.”
Driving over 100 miles each Monday and Tuesday that school is in session, Alice Gray has the job of making sure the NIE papers arrive at the various schools and educational sites. Her busy day starts at 6 a.m., when she starts loading papers into the car, and her route winds through parts of Knox and adjoining counties. The NIE newspaper dropoff farthest from the News office (as the crow flies) is at Highland West Elementary in Marengo.
Gray said she really likes being a part of the NIE program. She enjoys getting to meet students and staff at the various schools and is all in favor of newspapers in the classroom.
“The whole concept,” she said, “is a good one. It gets kids interested in reading, and that’s important.”
