cannabisnews.com: Goodwin: Make Rehabilitation an Option 





Goodwin: Make Rehabilitation an Option 
Posted by FoM on February 17, 2000 at 08:29:15 PT
By Casandra Andrews, Staff Reporter 
Source: Alabama Live
Mobile County school employees would deserve second chances if they flunked proposed new random tests for drugs and alcohol, a leader of the local teacher's union said Wednesday. Danny Goodwin, a director with the local chapter of the Alabama Education Association, was the only person to comment during an afternoon hearing on the policy to expand drug and alcohol testing. 
School Board members for the 7,000-employee Mobile County Public School System have said the testing will make students safer and workers more productive. The new testing could be imposed within the next month, School Board members said. They are expected to discuss the matter at a 6 p.m. Tuesday meeting at Hall Elementary School, on Antwerp Street in Mobile. Under the policy, prospective workers would be screened for drugs and alcohol prior to employment. Workers already on the job would be subject to testing when there is "reasonable suspicion." If a worker fails to pass, said Goodwin, "We would hope the system would allow them to have active rehabilitation services. They should at least have a second chance to straighten out their lives." Violators could be refused employment, suspended, dismissed or referred for rehabilitation, according to the proposal. The drug testing would screen for substances such as amphetamines, marijuana, cocaine, opiates and PCP (phencyclidine). "We have had some conversations with foremen who said they feel uncomfortable if they are going to be the person who notes reasonable suspicion," Goodwin said. "... They feel they need to be trained properly." The proposed policy calls for two hours of training for those who work in supervisory roles for the system. Now, only employees who are required to have commercial driver's licenses - bus drivers, some truck drivers and those who transport hazardous materials - must take pre-employment and random drug tests, school officials have said. The new policy would include random and post-accident testing of all employees who drive system vehicles, not just those with commercial licenses. The system enrolls 65,000 students in nearly 100 schools. Published: February 17, 2000© 2000 Mobile Register. Random Drug Testing For Teachers Could Be Possiblehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3382.shtmlSupreme Court Allows Drug Tests For New Teachers http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3136.shtml CannabisNews Drug Testing Archives:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/list/drug_testing.shtml
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