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White House pushes more schools to drug-test students
Reuters ^ | 3/19/6 | Andy Sullivan

Posted on 03/19/2006 4:30:53 PM PST by Crackingham

Student athletes, musicians and others who participate in after school activities could increasingly be subject to random drug testing under a program promoted by the Bush administration. White House officials say drug testing is an effective way to keep students away from harmful substances like marijuana and crystal methamphetamine, and have held seminars across the country to promote the practice to local school officials. But some parents, educators and school officials call it a heavy-handed, ineffective way to discourage drug use that undermines trust and invades students' privacy.

"Our money should be going toward educating young people, not putting them under these surveillance programs," said Jennifer Kern, a research associate at the Drug Policy Alliance, a non-profit group that has frequently criticized U.S. drug policy.

Requiring students to produce a urine sample or hair sample for laboratory testing is a relatively recent tactic in the United States' decades-long "war on drugs," along with surveillance cameras and drug-sniffing dogs in school hallways.

Adults in the military and many workplaces have long been subject to testing, but U.S. courts have ruled that public schools cannot impose random tests on an entire student body.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1995 that schools can randomly test student athletes who are not suspected of drug use, and in 2002 ruled that all students who participate in voluntary activities, like cheerleading, band or debate, could be subjected to random tests.

Since then, the Bush administration has spent $8 million to help schools pay for drug testing programs. The White House hopes to spend $15 million on drug-testing grants in the next fiscal year.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 1984; doubleplusgood; drugs; drugtesting; education; govwatch; nclb; publikskoolz; schools; warondrugs; wodlist
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1 posted on 03/19/2006 4:30:55 PM PST by Crackingham
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To: Crackingham

As long as they test the teachers too.....


2 posted on 03/19/2006 4:32:04 PM PST by SteveMcKing
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To: Crackingham

3 posted on 03/19/2006 4:32:48 PM PST by Huck (I only type lol when I am really lol.)
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To: Crackingham

Meanwhile my 9th grade A/B student son has not diagramed a sentence since 6th grade. His grammar and punctuation stinks. Mean old Mom requires spelling, grammar and punctuation be perfect even on rough drafts.

"Show your work" is not a requirement in Algebra.

But damn--let's make sure he pisses in a cup.


4 posted on 03/19/2006 4:37:57 PM PST by Protect the Bill of Rights (GOP, The Other France)
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To: Crackingham
"Our money should be going toward educating young people, not putting them under these surveillance programs," said Jennifer Kern, a research associate at the Drug Policy Alliance, a non-profit group that has frequently criticized U.S. drug policy.

Oh, give it a rest.

Many if not most the schools aren't "educating" anyway. Further, these students need intervention if they are in the "drug culture".

I think it's in the nation's best economy-mind, to do such a thing. I just wish there were a way to go after the pedophiles in pub ed before they sexually abuse the young.

Youngsters, in the drug culture, grow up to be VERY EXPENSIVE adults. And I'm not even going into discussing a wasted life. But purely, from a cost standpoint, especially in a time when the Social Security system is going bust, one might glean that proper intervention in the here and now might just prevent the SS system from going bust EVEN SOONER than projected. And SS is only one of the bleedlines.

5 posted on 03/19/2006 4:38:08 PM PST by Alia
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To: Alia

That's the parents' job not the schools'.


6 posted on 03/19/2006 4:41:10 PM PST by The Worthless Miracle ("Better put some ice on that")
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To: Protect the Bill of Rights

I agree wholeheartedly. Finally had to get my kids into a private school because they weren't learning squat in a public one. Where are my tax breaks for private schooling!?!?


7 posted on 03/19/2006 4:41:13 PM PST by wireplay
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To: SteveMcKing

..and some of the District Administrators too. I swear some of them I've met must be high on something, if their irrational and out-of-control behavior is any indication.


8 posted on 03/19/2006 4:43:08 PM PST by pray4liberty (Five, Going on Six, Years of Freeping!)
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To: Crackingham

Breathalyzers and tests for nicotine consumption are already in place, I assume.

/sarc


9 posted on 03/19/2006 4:43:41 PM PST by Blzbba (Sub sole nihil novi est)
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To: Alia

You give it a rest.

This doesn't do anything to aid in the education of kids. Just another excuse for the public schools for why they aren't teaching.

Start with teaching the kids and they won't do drugs in the first place. As it is, the public schools are an abomination of social welfare. I'LL teach my kids about drugs, I'LL teach my kids about sex ed.


10 posted on 03/19/2006 4:43:55 PM PST by wireplay
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To: Crackingham
Student athletes, musicians and others who participate in after school activities could increasingly be subject to random drug testing under a program promoted by the Bush administration.

Somehow, I don't think that the students who participate in after school activities are the ones using drugs.

11 posted on 03/19/2006 4:44:40 PM PST by Drew68
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To: The Worthless Miracle
Which raises another question: Do you believe those without children should be paying taxes to support pub ed? Those youngsters, grown one day, might just be paying for the food on your table (or not) as an oldster.

And since you agree that "Parents should be doing this job" then pub education should not be subsidized. I'm all for vouchers. You too?

12 posted on 03/19/2006 4:45:24 PM PST by Alia
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To: wireplay
Keep it simple: Get your kids out of public education, then the feds and state will NOT have to be involved in the choices parents are or are not making.

You can't nor should you have it both ways: The State and Feds are forced to be involved in PUBLIC EDUCATION by the very nature of "taxations". And now you wanna say the state/feds have no say in whether or not a child is on drugs?

13 posted on 03/19/2006 4:47:40 PM PST by Alia
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To: wireplay
School District abuse their power in the worst ways. This is just one more tool in their arsenal to discriminate against your child. I'm NOT for giving them any more power and eroding your parental rights at the same time.

And no, there are no tax deductions for private school, unless it's college (tuition). If your kids are old enough, check out on-line homeschooling.

14 posted on 03/19/2006 4:49:00 PM PST by pray4liberty (School District horrors: http://totallyunjust.tripod.com)
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To: Drew68
Somehow, I don't think that the students who participate in after school activities are the ones using drugs.

Oh yes, they do.

15 posted on 03/19/2006 4:50:04 PM PST by pray4liberty (School District horrors: http://totallyunjust.tripod.com)
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To: pray4liberty
If your kids are old enough, check out on-line homeschooling.

You are right. As long as state and fed laws are engaged in pouring funds into: Schools, "free" medical clinics, welfare homes, Section 8, food stamps. And the Feds have "no drugs" policies, they HAVE to do these things under LAWS.

Just amazes me sometimes that some folks think of pub ed as some type of "hotel babysitting service" wherein the parent can pick and choose. It doesn't work that way.

16 posted on 03/19/2006 4:53:40 PM PST by Alia
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To: Drew68

"Student athletes, musicians and others who participate in after school activities could increasingly be subject to random drug testing..."


All those football players better tell the boys in the band that doing steroids results in small pianists... : )


17 posted on 03/19/2006 4:54:06 PM PST by Hand em their arse (The)
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To: Crackingham

it's called indoctrinating the kids into govt intrusions into private lives. when they grow up, piss police will be by their homes for a sample and they wont think anything of it.


18 posted on 03/19/2006 4:54:24 PM PST by takenoprisoner
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To: takenoprisoner

A public school is not a "private life".


19 posted on 03/19/2006 4:57:03 PM PST by Alia
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To: Alia

See post #7. I already pulled my kids out but I still have to pay the taxes AND the tuition.

Yes, I want my taxes back. I pay more for the private schooling than the taxes alone but basically I get screwed. i have to pay school taxes (which they don't send to the schools because my kids aren't enrolled) and I have to pay tuition as well. Essentially, taxation without representation.

Drugs are a parental issue not the schools. Teach my kids to read, write, and do math. They (public schools) aren't doing that so they have no business teaching them about drugs.


20 posted on 03/19/2006 5:03:02 PM PST by wireplay
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