Urdedpal
New Member
Dozens Of People On Each Side Tried To Sway The Board To Adopt Their Viewpoints On Proposed Random Tests.
WILLIAMSBURG -- The School Board approved a drug-testing program Tuesday that could reach every middle school and high school student in Williamsburg and James City County - if they each volunteer to pee in the cup.
Weeks of brittle public debate became only sharper during an hour of public comments Tuesday, so the board sidestepped a random-testing plan that could have been the broadest in Virginia. It would have tested high school students in sports and other extracurricular activities, as well as students who get permits to park their cars on campus.
Board member Mary Ann Maimone offered an amendment to instead have a voluntary testing program for all students in grades six through 12 that their parents could sign up for. The vote was unanimous and received applause from dozens of people who spoke at and watched the meeting.
After more than an hour of public comment on the random-testing plan, Maimone said, "Someone bravely said tonight: This policy is not perfect, but please pass it. We absolutely cannot do that and be a responsible board."
Her amendment upset board member Ron Vaught. "This amendment, I feel, flies in the face of the little people and is to appease the big people," he said.
He asked Maimone whether the amendment was hers and not written by someone else in the group of citizens that organized to oppose the testing.
Maimone said it was, and Vaught replied, "To succumb to political wranglings and to water down the policy is to have no policy at all."
The idea for a voluntary program was a late tactic by opponents of the random-testing plan recommended by Superintendent Gary Mathews. Board member Joe Fuentes said that opponents who met with him Saturday asked him to table the plan and that he refused. He said the first time that he heard people ask for a voluntary program was Tuesday night. Board members rushed to the compromise.
Fuentes told the crowd, "I think this is a good move. We've received hundreds of e-mails or letters or faxes. Based on all the comments we've heard, we've reached a good compromise. We've split the baby in half. ... Mrs. Maimone has found a workable solution, for now."
The compromise upset those who spoke in favor of the Mathews plan.
Proponent Ginger Crapse promised after the meeting to begin a petition drive to make the two School Board representatives from Williamsburg into elected positions, instead of appointed posts.
One of those representatives is John Alewynse, who said before the vote, "This issue has divided this community like I have never seen it divided in the years I've been on the School Board and lived in this community, going back to the time when the schools were desegregated and we were going through that trauma."
During the meeting, which included more than an hour of public comment, Crapse told parents who opposed random drug testing, "You're making a terrible mistake," and spoke of her experience teaching students using drugs. Her own son was caught dealing.
"Who did my son deal to? Your children," she said. "I was one of those parents that was lied to. The students know how to mask it. And they tell you they've never taken drugs. The really smart ones tell you, 'I tried it, and gosh, Mom, it wasn't for me.'
"You believe it because the only other choice is really terrifying."
Marcellus Stepney is a senior at Jamestown High School who participates in sports, drama and choir. He was one of many students who packed the meeting room and wore white YES stickers.
"Drugs are becoming a big issue at our school. Even the parents that are super-involved are clueless when it comes to the drug issues and peer pressure we face every day," he told the School Board.
Many of those who spoke in favor of drug testing had personal stories of drug abuse, and several of them cried as they told them.
Rachel Martin, a junior at Jamestown, said she was caught using drugs in her freshman year.
"Luckily, I was caught, and I've changed my life since then," she said.
"Parents are naive. My mom was. And she's not anymore."
Jamestown student Evan Bruno said of his peers, "They are treating marijuana as a basic cigarette. And it is not a basic cigarette." But many others in the packed room wore yellow NO buttons and spoke of their concerns about the right to privacy and the idea that people should be innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around.
Gualano Davis said, "I wish I had a button that said YES and NO because I have mixed feelings.
"But there's no button like that out there."
Source: Daily Press (Newport News,VA)
Copyright: 2006 The Daily Press
Contact: letters@dailypress.com
Website: Daily Press: Hampton Roads Daily Press
WILLIAMSBURG -- The School Board approved a drug-testing program Tuesday that could reach every middle school and high school student in Williamsburg and James City County - if they each volunteer to pee in the cup.
Weeks of brittle public debate became only sharper during an hour of public comments Tuesday, so the board sidestepped a random-testing plan that could have been the broadest in Virginia. It would have tested high school students in sports and other extracurricular activities, as well as students who get permits to park their cars on campus.
Board member Mary Ann Maimone offered an amendment to instead have a voluntary testing program for all students in grades six through 12 that their parents could sign up for. The vote was unanimous and received applause from dozens of people who spoke at and watched the meeting.
After more than an hour of public comment on the random-testing plan, Maimone said, "Someone bravely said tonight: This policy is not perfect, but please pass it. We absolutely cannot do that and be a responsible board."
Her amendment upset board member Ron Vaught. "This amendment, I feel, flies in the face of the little people and is to appease the big people," he said.
He asked Maimone whether the amendment was hers and not written by someone else in the group of citizens that organized to oppose the testing.
Maimone said it was, and Vaught replied, "To succumb to political wranglings and to water down the policy is to have no policy at all."
The idea for a voluntary program was a late tactic by opponents of the random-testing plan recommended by Superintendent Gary Mathews. Board member Joe Fuentes said that opponents who met with him Saturday asked him to table the plan and that he refused. He said the first time that he heard people ask for a voluntary program was Tuesday night. Board members rushed to the compromise.
Fuentes told the crowd, "I think this is a good move. We've received hundreds of e-mails or letters or faxes. Based on all the comments we've heard, we've reached a good compromise. We've split the baby in half. ... Mrs. Maimone has found a workable solution, for now."
The compromise upset those who spoke in favor of the Mathews plan.
Proponent Ginger Crapse promised after the meeting to begin a petition drive to make the two School Board representatives from Williamsburg into elected positions, instead of appointed posts.
One of those representatives is John Alewynse, who said before the vote, "This issue has divided this community like I have never seen it divided in the years I've been on the School Board and lived in this community, going back to the time when the schools were desegregated and we were going through that trauma."
During the meeting, which included more than an hour of public comment, Crapse told parents who opposed random drug testing, "You're making a terrible mistake," and spoke of her experience teaching students using drugs. Her own son was caught dealing.
"Who did my son deal to? Your children," she said. "I was one of those parents that was lied to. The students know how to mask it. And they tell you they've never taken drugs. The really smart ones tell you, 'I tried it, and gosh, Mom, it wasn't for me.'
"You believe it because the only other choice is really terrifying."
Marcellus Stepney is a senior at Jamestown High School who participates in sports, drama and choir. He was one of many students who packed the meeting room and wore white YES stickers.
"Drugs are becoming a big issue at our school. Even the parents that are super-involved are clueless when it comes to the drug issues and peer pressure we face every day," he told the School Board.
Many of those who spoke in favor of drug testing had personal stories of drug abuse, and several of them cried as they told them.
Rachel Martin, a junior at Jamestown, said she was caught using drugs in her freshman year.
"Luckily, I was caught, and I've changed my life since then," she said.
"Parents are naive. My mom was. And she's not anymore."
Jamestown student Evan Bruno said of his peers, "They are treating marijuana as a basic cigarette. And it is not a basic cigarette." But many others in the packed room wore yellow NO buttons and spoke of their concerns about the right to privacy and the idea that people should be innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around.
Gualano Davis said, "I wish I had a button that said YES and NO because I have mixed feelings.
"But there's no button like that out there."
Source: Daily Press (Newport News,VA)
Copyright: 2006 The Daily Press
Contact: letters@dailypress.com
Website: Daily Press: Hampton Roads Daily Press
