DEBATE CONTINUES OVER DRUG TESTING TEACHERS

Parents Expect Their Children to Be Safe at School.

After Charleston Police arrest David Anderson, a principal, for
cocaine possession and the FBI charged Garland Eary, an elementary
teacher, with possession of child pornography, student safety has
come into question.

"Throughout industry and throughout the workplace, random drug
testing is taking place for the safety of the product," said Pete
Thaw, a member of the Kanawha County School Board. "We're doing it
for the safety of the children."

Thaw wants to all district employees to be subject to random drug testing.

Rather than enforce drug testing, a spokesman for the West Virginia
Education Association suggests training employees to spot the signs
of a drug user.

Fred Albert, president of the Kanawha County chapter of the American
Federation of Teachers, recommends subjecting those employees under
suspicion to drug testing rather than random checks.

"When does it stop?" Albert asked. "I mean then we will be randomly
drug testing all caregivers of children?"

Prior to entering a classroom, teacher applicants pay $34 for a
national background check. If a current educator switches school
districts, a second statewide check is a must.

"A county is required to do a statewide background check to see if
anything has changed within the state," said Liza Cordeiro, a
spokesperson for the West Virginia Department of Educaiton.

According to the department of education, 59 applicants were denied a
teaching certificate due to legal reasons within the past year.

The board plans to address drug testing at tomorrow's meeting.