Many states are discussing drug testing of teachers, but few are actually going ahead with it. The Kanawha County school system rejected a proposed policy last spring, but another teacher drug arrest caused the issue to be resurrected. Only Hawaii is further along with a teacher drug-testing program, according to information provided by the National School Boards Association. There, random drug testing for employees is a provision in a proposed new labor contract for teachers. The contract also would include a hefty pay raise for teachers. [continues 717 words]
Kanawha County school board member Bill Raglin said he believes Principal David Anderson escaped conviction on a cocaine charge only because he is white. "I shudder to think what would have happened if this had been a young, black male who had been found with cocaine in his pockets by a police officer at 3:30 a.m.," Raglin said Tuesday after the board voted 3 to 2 to reinstate Anderson to his job at Pratt Elementary School. "He probably would've been eating lunches in the state penitentiary right now," Raglin said. [continues 757 words]
Top administrators in Kanawha County's schools would be randomly screened for drugs under a proposed drug-testing policy. School board members said the policy would be revised to include administrators at the central office and board members themselves. "From the beginning, we've said everybody would be included," School Superintendent Ron Duerring said Thursday at a board meeting. Board member Pete Thaw criticized the proposed policy earlier this week. It called for random drug testing of employees in "safety sensitive positions" -- specifically teachers, school service personnel and those with direct contact with students. [continues 594 words]
Kanawha County schools' proposed drug-testing policy would exempt upper-level administrators and board members from screenings, while requiring principals, teachers and school service personnel to undergo random tests. Board member Pete Thaw says that is not fair. The revamped policy -- up for discussion at a meeting Thursday -- will require all workers deemed to be in "safety sensitive" jobs to be randomly drug tested. The policy, however, does not include testing of administrators at the county's central board office. Thaw said all administrators, even board members, should be tested. [continues 388 words]
Leaders of West Virginia teachers unions object to Kanawha County's proposed drug-testing policy that would require teachers to be screened but not officials at the board's central office. The board of education was to consider the proposal at a meeting today. "We do have some concerns about a policy that doesn't include everybody," said Judy Hale, president of the state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. The policy would exempt upper-level administrators and board members, while requiring principals, teachers and school service personnel to undergo tests. [continues 324 words]
The company that provides random drug testing for St. Albans city employees is now offering free, random drug screenings for students in St. Albans area schools. The drug screenings are offered as part of a program provided by the city's Drug Prevention Task Force. The task force formed in July, months after two St. Albans High students died from apparent drug overdoses. Students can volunteer to be in a database from which their names might be picked at random for a drug screening. [continues 695 words]
A representative from the company that does drug testing for Kanawha County school bus drivers countered teachers unions' fears by providing more information about the drug tests and how they're performed. The school board wants to extend the drug tests to teachers, principals and other personnel. "We're very careful to protect a person's privacy, both medically and personally. We don't accompany someone into a restroom or stand behind them. That would only be in extreme cases," said Randy Pauley, an employee with Examination Management Systems Inc. [continues 641 words]
Most Kanawha County school board members say random drug testing of teachers and principals should be considered in the wake of an arrest of a grade-school principal on cocaine possession charges. "Under the circumstances, maybe the time is right for us to have a random drug testing program," said Jim Crawford, board president. Pratt Elementary School Principal David Anderson, 42, was arrested outside Washington Manor at about 3:20 a.m. Saturday by Charleston police. Board member Bill Raglin said he supports random drug testing for teachers and principals. [continues 589 words]
