Students debate drug testing for teachers

By Alisha Bentley
Sherman High School

When our parents send us off to school each morning, they expect us to get the education we deserve. But what if that can’t happen because a teacher is on drugs and not totally focused on what he or she is teaching? This may not be a widespread problem in West Virginia schools, but it does happen.

“If teachers are on drugs, they don’t need to be teaching children,” said Sherman High School freshman Aaron Elkins.

The recent arrest of a Kanawha County elementary school teacher for cocaine possession has raised the question: should school teachers and administrators be drug tested? Sherman High School students debated the topic.

“Teachers should be drug tested because it’s not only kids that do drugs. Teachers could also be doing drugs,” said senior Courtney Coon.

Freshman Samantha Hague agreed. “Teachers should be drug tested because our school system should be able to do away with those who do drugs.”

“Teachers should definitely be drug tested because students deserve to receive a proper education,” said sophomore Millicent Hudnall.

“Well considering that I am 100 percent against all drugs, I would have to say that I think all teachers should be tested,” said sophomore Alicia Pettry. “They teach us at school not to do drugs and them doing drugs out of school is misleading to everyone.”

It seems the majority of students are in favor of drug testing for teachers, so another question is when this testing should be done. Should it be the same time every month, a different day every month or randomly throughout the school year?

“Teachers should be tested randomly because they need to be caught off-guard,” Hudnall said. “If it’s on a set date, then they could avoid taking drugs until the test had been taken.”

Junior Caraline Griffith agreed. “Teachers should be drug tested randomly. That way they won’t be able to prepare for a screening.”

“It would be stupid to have it the same time every month,” said Elkins. “It would be easier to get by with it then.”

A final question relating to this topic is how the tests should be paid for. Should teachers pay out of their own pockets or should the school system absorb the cost?

“[Teachers] should pay for their own drug test because there are more important things to buy with the school’s money, like computers, rulers and calculators,” said Pettry.

“It would be worth every penny [to have the school system pay] because we need competent teachers and good role models in our school system,” Hudnall said.

Griffith agreed with Hudnall. “Yes, it would be worth it because it helps make our schools safer.”

Coon disagreed, though. “It wouldn’t be worth the money [to have the school system pay],” she said. “The money could be used for other needs that schools have. It could be spent on improving our schools.”