Random Drug Testing in High School
Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey has introduced a plan for High Schools to start randomly testing students for drug use (as long as the parents have signed off). The local school districts can choose whether or not they want to participate in the program. My hope is Bedford will choose not to and here is why:
So far any real study of random drug testing in the school system has not proven to deter students from using those drugs. Here are a couple of links you should check out that state that fact more eloquently than myself, The Highs and Lows of Drug Testing and Drug Tests in Schools Fail. I don’t automatically agree with everything that these sites state but the articles are good and concise.
Massachusetts is willing to pony up $20,000 per school system that opts into this testing program. Massachusetts is then hoping to also get federal funding with the hopes that the combined money will cover the entire cost for those school systems. Lets just assume that between what Mass is willing to cover and federal grant money the cities and towns don’t have to put any additional funding into the program, doesn’t the money seem better spent on educating the kids rather then drug testing them?
If a parent has concerns about their child don’t they still have the right to go to their primary doctor and discuss options (in private)? Can’t they still request a drug test (again in private)? To me this seems like a colossal waste of money that would be much better spent educating students; please let me know what you think.
So far any real study of random drug testing in the school system has not proven to deter students from using those drugs. Here are a couple of links you should check out that state that fact more eloquently than myself, The Highs and Lows of Drug Testing and Drug Tests in Schools Fail. I don’t automatically agree with everything that these sites state but the articles are good and concise.
Massachusetts is willing to pony up $20,000 per school system that opts into this testing program. Massachusetts is then hoping to also get federal funding with the hopes that the combined money will cover the entire cost for those school systems. Lets just assume that between what Mass is willing to cover and federal grant money the cities and towns don’t have to put any additional funding into the program, doesn’t the money seem better spent on educating the kids rather then drug testing them?
If a parent has concerns about their child don’t they still have the right to go to their primary doctor and discuss options (in private)? Can’t they still request a drug test (again in private)? To me this seems like a colossal waste of money that would be much better spent educating students; please let me know what you think.
