Passing the test?

An undercover officer with the Otero County Narcotics Enforcement Unit holds a bag of marijuana seized at an area home on July 17, 2007.

[blah blah blah]

a republican made the invading patriot act.. n random drug test with schools i think so they can see if they are using anything. should they be kicked off a team for steroids? yes. weed? no..

[kpitreal]

I think most of these kids are clean, it's the one bad apple and the majority has to pay for it. If this happened when I attended school you bet I would have refused it, and I was clean all 4 years of mid and high school.

[School Watch]

I think this school board should be tested for common sense. We have an education problem with this board, not a drug problem with the students.

[downinthelowland s]

Has this "Medina" and "Harris" been in the sun too long?

This has got to be the silliest thing I've ever read about in this City!

This is the cake on the icing when reading about Alamogordo and it's "school board leaders". A lost bunch, the whole lot of them!

This is stupid and a waste of taxpayer dollar(s)!

By the way -- who's going to "monitor" those young men and women providing a sample of urine?

You think one of those "men" are going to "watch" my son urinate in a cup for their pleasure? I THINK NOT!

For the safety of participating in extra-curricular activities? What - a kid on pot is going to get the munchies and attack other students? And, if they are on anything else...there not in school!

Cuckoo...cuckoo-ville is where I'm living!

[Michael Morris]

Well it is so much easier to try to shift the blame away from the system. Implied in this is that there is a drug problem among the HS athletes. Is there?

[Get Real]

Yet another misguided attempt by the current school board. Honestly, Harris, Dodson, Rickman, what are you people after? What will you do with the results? Is this legal? Do the parents have a voice in this? Oh, I forgot, the school board does what it wants and then crams it down the throats of the students and families. C'mon, parents, students....let's not forget how this current group pushed the current scheduling fiasco. And yes, they need a test for common sense. School board, be warned, you best have a consent form signed by the parents and students before you invade their privacy.
Downinthelowlands - YOU are right on?? Who's watching the process? Has anybody been to the Safety Institute? Alamogordo, wake up.

[missing the point]

Michael Morris wrote:

Well it is so much easier to try to shift the blame away from the system. Implied in this is that there is a drug problem among the HS athletes. Is there?

Mr Morris, I don't know if we have a problem here, but it seems that with all the uproar regarding performance enhancing drugs in major professional sports as well as at the college level, the board may be pushing the panic button here? Yes there are those students who do use them, but I'm not sure it is a major issue. Shouldn't a coach be able to recognize a kid that was average and then blew up over the summer and went from bench pressing 300lbs to 500lbs. The parents and the coaches need to keep an eye on this, it's not that hard to recognize.
Also, what are the legal issues? Are they going to test athletes only, or the general school population? Football players or tennis players?

[M Catts]

Get Real wrote:

Yet another misguided attempt by the current school board. Honestly, Harris, Dodson, Rickman, what are you people after? What will you do with the results? Is this legal? Do the parents have a voice in this? Oh, I forgot, the school board does what it wants and then crams it down the throats of the students and families. C'mon, parents, students....let's not forget how this current group pushed the current scheduling fiasco. And yes, they need a test for common sense. School board, be warned, you best have a consent form signed by the parents and students before you invade their privacy.
Downinthelowlands - YOU are right on?? Who's watching the process? Has anybody been to the Safety Institute? Alamogordo, wake up.

If you will read the article you will see that they will have a consent form signed. It will be included with the paperwork for signing up for your selected sport. Just like any of the other forms. You don't sign it, you don't participate!

[M Catts]

missing the point wrote:

<quoted text>
Mr Morris, I don't know if we have a problem here, but it seems that with all the uproar regarding performance enhancing drugs in major professional sports as well as at the college level, the board may be pushing the panic button here? Yes there are those students who do use them, but I'm not sure it is a major issue. Shouldn't a coach be able to recognize a kid that was average and then blew up over the summer and went from bench pressing 300lbs to 500lbs. The parents and the coaches need to keep an eye on this, it's not that hard to recognize.
Also, what are the legal issues? Are they going to test athletes only, or the general school population? Football players or tennis players?

So, if the coach notices that a kid "that was average and then blew up over the summer and went from bench pressing 300lbs to 500lbs" what are they going to do?????

[abcdf]

This testing is not just for the athletes. The article stated that ANYONE who drives and parks on campus is included in the mandatory and random testing.

This would HAVE to include staff as well: teachers, administration, secretaries, custodians, cafeteria workers, etc.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[Lifesshortlive24 7]

If you are not guilty why not take the test, Are you trying to hide your precious baby from getting caught. Because it will ruin your good reputation. Are you out to give your kids a good Education or a good drug life. What is the best interest for your kid? Become something or be a looser, you choose. I moved Due to your drug issue. I care about my kids and what they are going to become. Fix it as good parents or overlook it and see where your kids are 10 years from now.

[Lifesshortlive24 7]

If you are not guilty why not take the test, Are you trying to hide your precious baby from getting caught? Because it will ruin your good reputation! Are you out to give your kids a good Education or a good drug life! What is the best interest for your kid? Become something or be a looser!, you choose. I moved Due to the drug issues in the schools there, I care about my kids and what they are going to become. Fix it, as good parents or overlook it, and see where your kids are 10 years from now. I have Family there still. I want them to grow up in a good school.
Be the solution not the problem.

[M Catts]

abcdf wrote:

This testing is not just for the athletes. The article stated that ANYONE who drives and parks on campus is included in the mandatory and random testing.
This would HAVE to include staff as well: teachers, administration, secretaries, custodians, cafeteria workers, etc.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Yup, the same policy should, amd I'm sure will, apply to everyone!

[1topcop]

Test my children all you want. Thank you APS for making it harder for the drug users to be around my children.

[M Catts]

Lifesshortlive247 wrote:

If you are not guilty why not take the test, Are you trying to hide your precious baby from getting caught? Because it will ruin your good reputation! Are you out to give your kids a good Education or a good drug life! What is the best interest for your kid? Become something or be a looser!, you choose. I moved Due to the drug issues in the schools there, I care about my kids and what they are going to become. Fix it, as good parents or overlook it, and see where your kids are 10 years from now. I have Family there still. I want them to grow up in a good school.
Be the solution not the problem.

While I don't agree with the theory that if "your not gulity you should take the test" theory. That to me is like saying if you have nothing to hide then the govt. should be able to listen to your phone calls and search your house and car any time they want and as long as your not guilty you have no problem with it.
I would like to see them make our schools as drug and alcohol free as they can!

It's also "real life" education.
Most every place that is worth getting a job will require you to pass a drug test and consent to random testing.

[Shawna]

The teachers are already underpaid here in Alamogordo, the athletic departments have to have fund raisers in order to stay afloat, the band and choir have to have fund raisers to stay afloat, where are they going to get the money to fund this drug testing. Which program has to be shut down, the band? cheerleaders? choir? Which sports team, most likely the swim team they don't bring any revenue into the sports program (this being the one sports team that boasts the highest GPA among it's participants)? GPA don't fill seats!!!

[downinthelowland s]

The Alamogordo High School is a place of "higher learning" --- what can be said about that...but,

drug testing students is not the reason why we send them to school.

You are all constantly screaming, "Parents, be parents." Let parents take care of drugs in the household.

Well, this parent and all other parents should state that 'drug testing' is not the reason why an Alamogordo School Board is created and what it stands for. It should be monitoring, creating a better curriculum, sports programs and overall, developing children into young adults.

Don't tell me to "lump" drug testing into the school board agenda. You want to play "drug testers" --- work for an agency/business that needs that requirement from their workforce. We don't need that requirement from students in high school.

And, it's not the point of "signing" documents to participate...nor, hiding a student(s) from the testing system...it is not necessary.

Again, it is a waste of taxpayer dollar, you are "invading" students due process and get off this Neocon (gotta watch everyone) Bush analysis process.

Focus on education. For god's sake...can this town full of educated people ensure education for our studnets - how bout city government run properly? etc., etc., etc.

Now, get to school. Chop, chop!

[blind leading the blind]

Well why aren't they going to random test ALL the staff, such as teachers and administration first. Maybe this would give them a starting point at some of the problems that need to be fixed first! I see more of our kids "role models" out partying during the week til a few hours before they have to get to work and teach our kids!

[Kathie M]

Not totally on topic, but I received this from a friend this morning:

High School Answering Machine

This is the
message that the Pacific Palisades High School California staff voted
unanimously to record on their school telephone answering machine.

This is the actual answering machine message for the school. This came
about because they implemented a policy requiring students and parents
to be responsible for their children's absences and missing homework.

The school and teachers are being sued by parents who want their
children's failing grades changed to passing grades - even though those
children were absent 15-30 times during the semester and did not
complete enough school work to pass their classes.

The outgoing message:

Hello! You h ave reached the automated answering service of your school.
In order to assist you in connecting to the right staff member, please
listen to all the options before making a selection:

To lie about why your child is absent - Press 1

To make excuses for why your child did not do his work -Press 2

To complain about what we do - Press 3
To swear at staff members - Press 4

To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your
newsletter and several flyers mailed to you - Press 5

If you want us to raise your child - Press 6

If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone - Press 7

To request another teacher, for the third time this year - Press 8

To complain about bus transportation - Press 9

To complain about school lunches - Press 0

If you realize this is the real world and your child must be
accountable and responsible for his/her own behaviour, class work,
homework and that it's not the teachers' fault for your child's lack of
effort: Hang up and have a nice day!

If you want this in Spanish, move to a country that speaks it!

[NMLibertarian]

this is yet another outrageous act APS is doing to divert attention from their inability to teach our children...school is turning into a place where your child goes to be babysat; taught, not for the sake of learning, but taught for a test; to get vision screens, dental screens, psychological screens, drug screens, etc....in other words, the government schools are taking over the role of parents...this is ultimately bad for families and society in general and bad for our country which I say sadly is in a greater and greater decline...so sad...