New Mexico private school to start random drug testing of its students

chanel

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Jun 8, 2009
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A private high school in New Mexico plans to conduct random drug tests of all students, amid a growing trend aimed at curbing drug use.

"The random drug test isn’t intended to target or punish anyone; our goal is to support our students by, hopefully, preventing them from developing drug habits that can affect their health, safety, intellectual development, and athletic performance,” the letter states. “Implementing a random drug testing program at St. Michael’s will give our students an easy excuse to say ‘no’ when their peers pressure them to experiment.”

The school intends to hold a "lottery" in which 10 to 15 percent of the student body will be selected to have hair samples sent to a California lab to be tested for marijuana, opiates, PCP, and methamphetamine.

Students who test positive will get 90 days before a second test will be taken. If they fail again they will be kicked out of the school.

Read more: New Mexico Private School To Start Random Drug Testing Of Its Students | Fox News

"St. Michael’s will give our students an easy excuse to say ‘no’ when their peers pressure them to experiment.” Can't argue with that. Peer pressure is the biggest factor in teen drug use.

Good idea?
 
I'm OK with it. I think I am more worried about alcohol use though.

my kids went to a Catholic high school with a zero tolerance policy that seemed pretty traumatic to kids who got caught doing something but it certainly helped the others to stay in line.
 
A private high school in New Mexico plans to conduct random drug tests of all students, amid a growing trend aimed at curbing drug use.

"The random drug test isn’t intended to target or punish anyone; our goal is to support our students by, hopefully, preventing them from developing drug habits that can affect their health, safety, intellectual development, and athletic performance,” the letter states. “Implementing a random drug testing program at St. Michael’s will give our students an easy excuse to say ‘no’ when their peers pressure them to experiment.”

The school intends to hold a "lottery" in which 10 to 15 percent of the student body will be selected to have hair samples sent to a California lab to be tested for marijuana, opiates, PCP, and methamphetamine.

Students who test positive will get 90 days before a second test will be taken. If they fail again they will be kicked out of the school.

Read more: New Mexico Private School To Start Random Drug Testing Of Its Students | Fox News

"St. Michael’s will give our students an easy excuse to say ‘no’ when their peers pressure them to experiment.” Can't argue with that. Peer pressure is the biggest factor in teen drug use.

Good idea?

It doesn't matter if you or I think its a good idea.

It's a PRIVATE school.

It's not really any of our business.
 
This happened when I was in high school. Sounds like Nazi propaganda to me, as well as a useless idea that accomplishes nothing.

"But only wrong-doers need be worried, kids! Hyuck hyuck..."
 
It's a private school. If the parents don't like the policy then pull their kids out. It's their choice to be there. I wouldn't support this in the public schools.
 
Since it is a private school there is no issue here. If it was a public school then it becomes an issue. Because the next step is "Why not do random drug tests of the entire population?"
 
If the entire population was attending the same institution sure drug test everyone. The school has a duty to ALL of its students to protect them from SOME of the students.

Parents who really don't care that their kids take drugs can just keep there kids in public school where it's tolerated.
 
Yes I realize this is a private school. But according to the article, it is the first. I could easily see others following suit, inc. charter schools. And I imagine test scores will rise. And then the stats will come out, and once again, the public schools will look even worse. I am anti-drug esp. when it comes to children. But I suspect the ACLU would never allow this in public schools.
 
Yes I realize this is a private school. But according to the article, it is the first. I could easily see others following suit, inc. charter schools. And I imagine test scores will rise. And then the stats will come out, and once again, the public schools will look even worse. I am anti-drug esp. when it comes to children. But I suspect the ACLU would never allow this in public schools.

Equality alone demands that students in private school be as strung out on drugs as kids in public school and fail just as much.
 
Yes I realize this is a private school. But according to the article, it is the first. I could easily see others following suit, inc. charter schools. And I imagine test scores will rise. And then the stats will come out, and once again, the public schools will look even worse. I am anti-drug esp. when it comes to children. But I suspect the ACLU would never allow this in public schools.

Equality alone demands that students in private school be as strung out on drugs as kids in public school and fail just as much.



kids in private school will never fail or use drugs as much as kids in regular public schools. the parents are obviously more involved if they are willing to pay for the school and transport their kids. basically the same holds true for upscale suburban schools where the parents pay for the school by buying high priced homes so that less successful parents are excluded along with their less successful progeny.
 
Yes I realize this is a private school. But according to the article, it is the first. I could easily see others following suit, inc. charter schools. And I imagine test scores will rise. And then the stats will come out, and once again, the public schools will look even worse. I am anti-drug esp. when it comes to children. But I suspect the ACLU would never allow this in public schools.



I wonder how many parents would be thrilled to be able to send their kids to a school with random drug checks.
 
Yes I realize this is a private school. But according to the article, it is the first. I could easily see others following suit, inc. charter schools. And I imagine test scores will rise. And then the stats will come out, and once again, the public schools will look even worse. I am anti-drug esp. when it comes to children. But I suspect the ACLU would never allow this in public schools.

Equality alone demands that students in private school be as strung out on drugs as kids in public school and fail just as much.



kids in private school will never fail or use drugs as much as kids in regular public schools. the parents are obviously more involved if they are willing to pay for the school and transport their kids. basically the same holds true for upscale suburban schools where the parents pay for the school by buying high priced homes so that less successful parents are excluded along with their less successful progeny.

In my area, the private school kids throw the best parties and have access to better drugs.

Most of my lower SES high school students are either not using or just doing weed and/or alcohol.

As someone else mentioned, alcohol is a bigger concern. It is readily available and affordable. Not a school year goes by without at least three alcohol involved car crashes that kills young people. (Not in my school but area wide.) There may have been drugs involved as well but it is the booze that gets reported.

Drug testing is a parental decision and not one that schools should be concerned with. We have enough stuff to worry about, public, private, or otherwise.
 
Schools should not be concerned about students' drug use? Do you wanna rethink that one?

I do agree that alcohol is huge problem as well, but rarely are kids drunk or dealing beer on school property.

My son had a drug screening in HS while getting other blood work done. I was thrilled it was clean. I'm not so naïve to think "Not my kid"
 
Yes I realize this is a private school. But according to the article, it is the first. I could easily see others following suit, inc. charter schools. And I imagine test scores will rise. And then the stats will come out, and once again, the public schools will look even worse. I am anti-drug esp. when it comes to children. But I suspect the ACLU would never allow this in public schools.


:lol:
 
Schools should not be concerned about students' drug use? Do you wanna rethink that one?

I do agree that alcohol is huge problem as well, but rarely are kids drunk or dealing beer on school property.

My son had a drug screening in HS while getting other blood work done. I was thrilled it was clean. I'm not so naïve to think "Not my kid"

I said that schools should not be concerned with testing. Parenting outranks schooling.
 
For a fee, a handler will come to homes with a drug sniffing dog and go over a child's room and the entire house. They are doing a great business.

Ah yes, the argument that parents outrank schools. How does this work exactly? A parent that specifically wants schools to drug test or schools that assert their authority over that of the parents and not drug test.

If parents intend that their child not be subject to drug testing in private school, since they are paying, they can choose to send their child to public school or shop around for a school that permits drug taking.
 
Ah yes, the argument that parents outrank schools. How does this work exactly? A parent that specifically wants schools to drug test or schools that assert their authority over that of the parents and not drug test.

If parents intend that their child not be subject to drug testing in private school, since they are paying, they can choose to send their child to public school or shop around for a school that permits drug taking.

It's not an argument, it's a fact. It is the parents job to deal with their kid's substance abuse issues. As you said, private schools can do as they wish and the parents can choose to send their kids elsewhere. In public school, parents make their voices heard, the school board listens and carries out their desires. My system is being dumbed down due to this. It's a damn shame but the parents are letting us know what they want in an education for their kids. Fortunately, both of mine graduated before the neutering.
 

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