Union leaders balk at random drug tests for teachers, claiming it costs too much
We’ve rarely encountered a teachers union that didn’t advocate for more school spending, especially when the money is spent on its members.
But the Illini Bluffs Federation of Teachers in Glasford, Illinois hit an impasse in labor negotiations with the local school board this week over a proposal to randomly test teachers for drugs and alcohol, a policy that is already in place for support staff.
Lead union negotiator Keith Brown told the Journal Star that “The board’s proposal would cost the district more than $6,000 a year on an issue that they admit has never been a problem.”
Get real, Keith. There is only one reason why someone doesn’t want to take a drug or alcohol test, and it has nothing to do with money.
District leaders undoubtedly understand that some teachers may fail the tests and lose their jobs because of it, and that’s a good thing. Taxpayers deserve to know that the community’s educators are sober minded in the classroom, and the cost of the drug and alcohol tests are well worth the peace of mind.
To show the importance of the issue, seven board members have volunteered to be tested. The district’s 327 administrators would also participate in the program under the board’s proposal to ensure that the policy is applied fairly to everyone, the Journal Star reports.
The costs of the tests are miniscule compared to the legal liability of a drunken or drugged out educator who may do something stupid while under the influence.
The testing proposal is just common sense, and should be implemented in every school district.
The union’s objection to the very sensible drug and alcohol testing proposal at Illini Bluffs only illustrates that its leaders have no real concern for the safety of children or the sanity of the learning environment. If drug and alcohol isn’t a problem, as Brown contends, then there would be no good reason for his members to object to the testing.
What does the union have to lose but a handful of educators that don’t belong in the classroom to begin with?
