The Columbia Scholastic Press Association has named Erinn Harris the 2020 National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year. Harris is a journalism teacher and faculty adviser of student media at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia.

Eight teachers were honored as Distinguished Advisers and Special Recognition Advisers.

The Distinguished Advisers are J.D. Garber, Salina (Kansas) High School; Kim Isbell, Humboldt (Kansas) High School; Kristin Taylor, The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles; and Carolyn Wagner, Lake Zurich (Illinois) High School.

The Special Recognition Advisers are Delbert Ellerton, Henry W. Grady High School, Atlanta; Anne Hayman, Arlington High School, Granite Falls, Washington; Sarah Lerner, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida; and Alana Van Der Sluys, Kinnelon (New Jersey) High School.

The National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year Awards program is managed and sponsored by CSPA and co-sponsored by the Dow Jones News Fund, with support from Poynter Institute for Media Studies and The Wall Street Journal.

Harris will receive a plaque and be featured in an exclusive interview at the Awards Luncheon on March 19. She will also receive a one year subscription to The Wall Street Journal as well as access to webinars from The Poynter Institute. One of her students will be chosen for a $1,000 college scholarship for journalism study.

DJNF began the journalism teacher awards program in 1960, which has honored more than 350 educators. The Fund became a co-sponsor in 2017.  CSPA will continue to administer the awards annually.

Biographies and background on the winners plus the awards process are detailed on CSPA’s website.