Fill'er up...

ROBBINSVILLE, N.C. — Teachers in this small rural town's school district are awaiting a state appeals court ruling to see if they'll be required to submit to random tests for drugs and alcohol.

Graham County, N.C., which has fewer than 1,200 students, is one of a small group of school districts in the nation attempting to establish random drug tests of teachers and other employees.

The district would be among the "very, very few" to randomly test teachers, American Civil Liberties Union staff attorney Adam Wolf says.

Private industry can require testing if they, in fact, make it a condition of employment for all employees. I had to fill up a cup a while back. This covers the burden set forth in the Equal Protection Act...as I understand the issue. I believe it to be a sound requirement especially in those industries that involve heavy equipment operation, travel, as well as those companies that are actually interested in how their employees represent them.

Were they to apply the same logic and policy to schools, they would not be testing staff already in position...only those new hires. So, perhaps the teachers' union (who is the hidden party of defiance in this issue despite barely being mentioned) has a point on the random issue. Public schools are not private industry, however. Children...are a very prescious "commodity"...and sometimes extra steps must be taken (as well as liberties) to assure their safety...and a parent's peace of mind (read: trust).

That being said...I'm sort of torn on the issue. Comments such as these are not very convincing:

"It would be in our view a waste of money, because there is no problem that a drug-testing program can address," said Michael Simpson, assistant general counsel with the National Education Association.

I'm thinking that Master Simpson is a product of the Public Education system... Drugs, Michael...the program would address drugs!!!

How about this blazing intellectual percipience???

Robbinsville teacher Cheryl Morgan says testing would pull her from the classroom when she's under pressure to boost test scores.

Ms. Morgan needs to get to a Urologist stat!!!! If peeing in a cup takes her so long that it would effect her classroom performance she requires immediate medical attention...and perhaps a Big Gulp cup.

Still no comment from the poppyseed bagel commission.