If it were a public school, I'd agree.

 

It's a private school. One no one is forced to attend. If you don't want to do what is required, there are plenty of other private schools in the area that will take your money.

 

You are assuming that every kid has the choice of where to attend. Additionally, you are asking kids to leave their friends and the Catholic school atmosphere (IT IS DIFFERENT, I don't care what anyone huffs and puffs about) and go to Dixie, SK, Holmes, Ludlow, or wherever where the atmosphere is different, for better or worse? Can't you accomplish the same goal through less intrusive manners? Like I said, let CC offer the program, have parents sign their children into it.

Edited May 19, 201610 yr by mexitucky

Do you think schools should be able to search lockers without student permission?

 

Yes. My basis is on expectation of privacy. Just like car searches, you have less expectation of privacy in your locker than you do your home, or ,ESPECIALLY, your own body.

Yes. My basis is on expectation of privacy. Just like car searches, you have less expectation of privacy in your locker than you do your home, or ,ESPECIALLY, your own body.

 

 

Gotcha. Asking to see where your overall stance is. I struggle with this one being the right thing to do. As stated, there is no current known problem at CCH in regards to drugs. They're not trying to fix an existing problem.

 

I applaud the stated intent even though I'm not convinced of its righteousness.

Pendleton County has tested athletes for some time now. Every athlete gets tested at the beginning of their sport season, then random tests are given periodically through the season. Students who are housed in the Alternative program are tested as well. They are tested randomly throughout the school year as an entire group.

Correct, they can. However, it still violates individual rights to privacy. Parents give their kids consent away by sending them to the institution, so you are ok. My question is what about the kid who is 18? Does he have to leave CovCath or consent to the test?

 

Trinity just finished their first year of drug testing. To answer your specific question, at Trinity at least if the parents don't consent to being part of the drug testing program the sudent is not allowed to enroll, if a student is 18 and does not consent then he is not allowed to enroll.

After thinking about this for a day, I have decided. I really don't like this. The school is stepping in for the parents here. If the school wants to offer free drug testing and parents give approval....that is completely different. This is overreach.

 

Then don't send your kid to a private school.

You are assuming that every kid has the choice of where to attend. Additionally, you are asking kids to leave their friends and the Catholic school atmosphere (IT IS DIFFERENT, I don't care what anyone huffs and puffs about) and go to Dixie, SK, Holmes, Ludlow, or wherever where the atmosphere is different, for better or worse? Can't you accomplish the same goal through less intrusive manners? Like I said, let CC offer the program, have parents sign their children into it.

 

If it's not mandatory then it's not effective. At Trinity at least the program was explained in great detail to parents and there has been an overwhelmingly positive response.

Put me down as one who is NOT a fan of mandatory drug testing.

 

And locker searches, ugh… sigh…. One of my kids got in trouble once during a locker search. The searcher found a condom. The students knew the locker searches were coming and a friend had planted it there to be “funny”. (I still shake my head when I recall that whole drama. Being a Catholic parent is tricky, you want to teach your kids responsibility, but they get in trouble at their Catholic school for being so LOL - but it’s a topic for another thread).

If it's not mandatory then it's not effective. At Trinity at least the program was explained in great detail to parents and there has been an overwhelmingly positive response.

 

Why would it not be effective if it wasn't mandatory? Do tests that are given voluntarily give off too many false positives? I don't follow that line of reasoning. What is the ultimate game plan here? Catch kids doing drugs before they dive deeper into addiction? That is a very noble cause. Now, are there other ways to accomplish this besides, "Get tested, or don't come here?"

Then don't send your kid to a private school.

 

I knew a comment like this was coming. This ultimatum stuff is old. Arrogance kills conversation.

Why would it not be effective if it wasn't mandatory? Do tests that are given voluntarily give off too many false positives? I don't follow that line of reasoning. What is the ultimate game plan here? Catch kids doing drugs before they dive deeper into addiction? That is a very noble cause. Now, are there other ways to accomplish this besides, "Get tested, or don't come here?"

 

Speaking for Trinity's program.

 

First, it's not meant as punitive. A positive test does not automatically get a student punished in any way, it gets the student in a mandatory counseling program. If the same kid has a second positive test he does face punishment in the form of removal from extracurricular activities but he is still not removed from the school, he is required to go through an even more extensive counseling program.

 

This is a tool. Peer pressure is a huge thing. The fact that the kids know that they are possibly going to be tested gives them another reason to not use drugs.

 

The parental response at Trinity has been overwhelmingly positive. The student response has also been positive.

 

Bottom line to me at least is that when you choose to enroll your kids in a private school you agree to certain conditions, enhanced discipline, financial obligations, etc. Drug testing is just another condition of enrollment. You can "opt-out" of other conditions of enrollment.

I knew a comment like this was coming. This ultimatum stuff is old. Arrogance kills conversation.

 

What's arrogant? No one is forcing anyone to do this, just like no one is forcing kids to go to private schools. If you're objections to this are strong enough that they outweigh the other positives of a private education, don't send your child to that private school. It's not every private school doing it. Send your kids to one that doesn't do it.

Speaking for Trinity's program.

 

First, it's not meant as punitive. A positive test does not automatically get a student punished in any way, it gets the student in a mandatory counseling program. If the same kid has a second positive test he does face punishment in the form of removal from extracurricular activities but he is still not removed from the school, he is required to go through an even more extensive counseling program.

 

-Isn't this the parents' job? Why is the school doing this? Why can't the school offer the assistance and have the parent ask for the assistance?

 

This is a tool. Peer pressure is a huge thing. The fact that the kids know that they are possibly going to be tested gives them another reason to not use drugs.

-So, again, the school is stepping in for the parents and saying, "You can't handle your child. You haven't given them enough internal fortitude to JUST SAY NO. We are going to make sure that no kid at Trinity gives into peer pressure, b/c if they do develop a problem, we're going to drop them into the public school system after their 3rd test."

 

The parental response at Trinity has been overwhelmingly positive. The student response has also been positive.

Parental response? What do they say about statistics? Of course it will be positive, it is free and they know whether their kids do drugs. For the students it is positive b/c I would assume that 55% of them, at least, don't do drugs. However, how do they test for alcohol? Seems to me that that would be the one major drug that these random tests really needed to catch. That is out of the system before they come to school on Monday, unless they have a major issue.

 

Bottom line to me at least is that when you choose to enroll your kids in a private school you agree to certain conditions, enhanced discipline, financial obligations, etc. Drug testing is just another condition of enrollment.

Now it is a condition, but that doesn't go hand-and-hand with enhanced discipline and financial obligations. I would argue that enhanced discipline should instill the prerequisite courage to say No to drugs in the first place.

 

I'm sorry, but to me, there are two motives to look at here, 1. Keep kids off of drugs and 2. Keep kids that are on drugs away from my kid by getting him out of the school that I'm paying 14K/year to send my kid to.

I'm sorry, but to me, there are two motives to look at here, 1. Keep kids off of drugs and 2. Keep kids that are on drugs away from my kid by getting him out of the school that I'm paying 14K/year to send my kid to.

 

To make sure no one is confused, CCH is not $14k. He wasn't using CCH in that example.

I'm sorry, but to me, there are two motives to look at here, 1. Keep kids off of drugs and 2. Keep kids that are on drugs away from my kid by getting him out of the school that I'm paying 14K/year to send my kid to.

 

What's wrong with either of those? Again, at the risk of being arrogant if you don't want your kid drug tested don't send him/her to a school that tests.