The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, use the exclamation point icon beside the comment to send a report to the webmaster.
At the ripe old age of 53, I've only been in education for the past 10 years. I'm now an elementary principal. Some have asked; Who pays for drug testing or why should tax payers pay for drug testing. I guess my question is how much more are we willing to pay to take care of the consequences of inappropriate substance abuse. My response to the "invasion of privacy" argument is that what a person may do in the privacy of their own world is their business...but what they do while sucking up my tax dollars (and, occasionally theirs, as well) is certainly my business. In response to the "test the administrators and teachers" argument...I agree completely...we're being paid with tax dollars, the public has the right to know that they are not supporting a drug or alcohol habit! The bottom line is personal responsibility and accountability. Society (and its laws) should be holding individuals responsible for the consequences of their and their children's behavior...until this happens we as tax payers will be compelled to continue to open our wallets to this problem.
-- Posted by sounddune on Sun, Aug 17, 2008, 1:52 am CDT
What kind of rights do you expect when you are dealing with illegal activity.
-- Posted by Maytag on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, 6:29 pm CDT
I belive this is a good idea. This should be required by all Public Schools in this State.
-- Posted by swampeastmissouri on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, 6:05 pm CDT
I don't think it's about civil rights anymore. Drugs are every where and we all need to try to think of different ways we can fight it. Usually the only people who will object are the people that abuse drugs themselves.
-- Posted by MsLin@home on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, 6:02 pm CDT
Does it really make any difference who is paying for the tests?
Children never had the same "rights" as adults and school students have never had any significant rights while in the school siting, so no one is "taking" anything away from them as they never had any.
Yeah, I can see where it would be a good idea to ignore drug use and not try to get them any help...
I've been in a few prisons; no comparison.
-- Posted by KCPO on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, 1:15 pm CDT
This is ridiculous!Who is footing the bill for these test?I am so sick of civil rights being taken away by those that THINK they are do gooders!!Why don't we just put electric fences up around every school in this Country and call them prisons!Whats next,shall we test them all for VD!
-- Posted by GREYWOLF on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, 11:10 am CDT
Kids drink and do drugs...parents know it. Most try to look the other way and say it is just kids being kids. Some actually put there foot down and don't tolerate it. Kids who drink and do drugs turn into ADULTS who drink and do drugs! Parents need to wake up and realize this before it is your child sitting in a jail cell or worse!! Sikeston schools are doing the right thing...any Parent who disgrees is just mad because the school is doing what they are to scared to do themselves. (Let's not make our kids do what's right...let's not make them behave, because if we don't let them do whatever THEY want, they won't like us!!!) Yeah, that is what the problem is, I know because I see it EVERYDAY!!!
-- Posted by mom4 on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, 9:38 am CDT
I think one of the important components of this is that these tests are not random, but are rather the result of actions/behavior on the part of the student which indicates drug usage.
However you feel about it, drug testing is not that unusual in our society. I was required to submit random drug screens and refusal would result in an automatic loss of employment. I'm not making a value judgment, just pointing out that is part of life now.
-- Posted by Red_Rhino on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, 9:15 am CDT
Start drug testing the School Board and Teachers first!STOP taking the Rights away Student.Next drug testing Parents?Student should Protest Drug Testing by Sitting out of any exfracurricuar and corurricular activities.Or vote in a new School Board.
-- Posted by Dogfish on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, 7:11 am CDT
Instead of relatively harmless drugs like marijuana that can stay in the body for weeks and is a breeze to test for students will turn to hard hallucinogenics(LSD, Shrooms, etc.. are never standardly tested for) or to deadly inhalants (so short lived as to make testing impossible) or to assorted prescription drugs (the test should pick up the Opiates and maybe even Hydrocodone if they foot the bill for an enhanced test, but virtually all commonly abused drugs are not test for.... even if they were then you have the problem of busting students with legitimate prescriptions). Even among the drugs that are tested for many of the harder drugs are quickly processed so assuming all they are paying for is a cheap urine test a student could hit the crack pipe & inject a little heroin on Friday night and pass a drug test come Monday morning. And of course alcohol is always the number one drug and this testing does absolutely nothing to stop students from drinking.
So the end result will not be fewer teens using drugs but simply teens directing their drug use to different drugs. Marijuana use will likely drop significantly but I'd bet on prescription pill abuse to rise correspondingly.
-- Posted by Nil on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, 8:11 pm CDT
Alcohol testing will probably wipe out most of the teams in the Christmas Tourn....
-- Posted by Maytag on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, 5:10 pm CDT
Why stop at there? Drugs are a huge problem. They're rampent in Cape, Jackson, and many other schools they should stop students from doing this before they ever get started. Parents do what they can at home but when we send our kids to school and they score some weed or prescription pills from some of these low life pushers it's hard to stop at home too.
-- Posted by Randall Williams on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, 4:34 pm CDT
![[SeMissourian.com]](/images/nameplate.gif)
Marketplace
Print
Email link
Respond to editor
Post comment
The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, use the exclamation point icon beside the comment to send a report to the webmaster.
143
At the ripe old age of 53, I've only been in education for the past 10 years. I'm now an elementary principal.
Some have asked; Who pays for drug testing or why should tax payers pay for drug testing. I guess my question is how much more are we willing to pay to take care of the consequences of inappropriate substance abuse.
My response to the "invasion of privacy" argument is that what a person may do in the privacy of their own world is their business...but what they do while sucking up my tax dollars (and, occasionally theirs, as well) is certainly my business.
In response to the "test the administrators and teachers" argument...I agree completely...we're being paid with tax dollars, the public has the right to know that they are not supporting a drug or alcohol habit!
The bottom line is personal responsibility and accountability. Society (and its laws) should be holding individuals responsible for the consequences of their and their children's behavior...until this happens we as tax payers will be compelled to continue to open our wallets to this problem.
What kind of rights do you expect when you are dealing with illegal activity.
I belive this is a good idea. This should be required by all Public Schools in this State.
I don't think it's about civil rights anymore. Drugs are every where and we all need to try to think of different ways we can fight it. Usually the only people who will object are the people that abuse drugs themselves.
Does it really make any difference who is paying for the tests?
Children never had the same "rights" as adults and school students have never had any significant rights while in the school siting, so no one is "taking" anything away from them as they never had any.
Yeah, I can see where it would be a good idea to ignore drug use and not try to get them any help...
I've been in a few prisons; no comparison.
This is ridiculous!Who is footing the bill for these test?I am so sick of civil rights being taken away by those that THINK they are do gooders!!Why don't we just put electric fences up around every school in this Country and call them prisons!Whats next,shall we test them all for VD!
Kids drink and do drugs...parents know it. Most try to look the other way and say it is just kids being kids. Some actually put there foot down and don't tolerate it. Kids who drink and do drugs turn into ADULTS who drink and do drugs! Parents need to wake up and realize this before it is your child sitting in a jail cell or worse!! Sikeston schools are doing the right thing...any Parent who disgrees is just mad because the school is doing what they are to scared to do themselves. (Let's not make our kids do what's right...let's not make them behave, because if we don't let them do whatever THEY want, they won't like us!!!) Yeah, that is what the problem is, I know because I see it EVERYDAY!!!
I think one of the important components of this is that these tests are not random, but are rather the result of actions/behavior on the part of the student which indicates drug usage.
However you feel about it, drug testing is not that unusual in our society. I was required to submit random drug screens and refusal would result in an automatic loss of employment. I'm not making a value judgment, just pointing out that is part of life now.
Start drug testing the School Board and Teachers first!STOP taking the Rights away Student.Next drug testing Parents?Student should Protest Drug Testing by Sitting out of any exfracurricuar and corurricular activities.Or vote in a new School Board.
Instead of relatively harmless drugs like marijuana that can stay in the body for weeks and is a breeze to test for students will turn to hard hallucinogenics(LSD, Shrooms, etc.. are never standardly tested for) or to deadly inhalants (so short lived as to make testing impossible) or to assorted prescription drugs (the test should pick up the Opiates and maybe even Hydrocodone if they foot the bill for an enhanced test, but virtually all commonly abused drugs are not test for.... even if they were then you have the problem of busting students with legitimate prescriptions). Even among the drugs that are tested for many of the harder drugs are quickly processed so assuming all they are paying for is a cheap urine test a student could hit the crack pipe & inject a little heroin on Friday night and pass a drug test come Monday morning. And of course alcohol is always the number one drug and this testing does absolutely nothing to stop students from drinking.
So the end result will not be fewer teens using drugs but simply teens directing their drug use to different drugs. Marijuana use will likely drop significantly but I'd bet on prescription pill abuse to rise correspondingly.
Alcohol testing will probably wipe out most of the teams in the Christmas Tourn....
Why stop at there? Drugs are a huge problem. They're rampent in Cape, Jackson, and many other schools they should stop students from doing this before they ever get started. Parents do what they can at home but when we send our kids to school and they score some weed or prescription pills from some of these low life pushers it's hard to stop at home too.