Pubdate: Wed, 26 Dec 2007 Source: Daily Southtown (Tinley Park, IL) Copyright: 2007 Daily Southtown Contact: http://www.dailysouthtown.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/810 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1468/a02.html Author: Paul Jasinevicius FOR A DRUG-FREE SCHOOL, TEST THE TEACHERS, TOO If the rationale for drug testing students is it will reduce drug use in high school, then I think administrators and teachers should lead by example and submit themselves to the same tests. Since all of the "druggies" will be weeded out of the private schools like Marian Catholic High School and "forced" to attend public high schools or be home schooled, I suppose it would make perfect sense not to allow any teachers or staff who work with these students to be treated any differently. After all, these folks are the role models students spend their days with. It is a logical theory that students will achieve more if they are sober and on task when they come to school, but the biggest drug problem most high schools have is the abuse of alcohol and smoking cigarettes, which are both readily available to minors. Is it just certain drug abuse the high school is trying to prevent, or would universal counseling for all drug abuse be a better option? If teachers and staff at Marian Catholic think shaming these potentially drug-abusing students with a label followed by an expulsion will be a good way to curtail a national problem, I believe all teachers and staff should be the first to submit to mandatory drug testing, as they are the front line players in academic life. Paul Jasinevicius Park Forest - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom