Gubernatorial Candidates Consider Drug Testing For Teachers

{West Virginia}...West Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bill Maloney says the state needs to drug-test teachers, and Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, the Democratic nominee, says he's not philosophically opposed to the idea. The state's county school systems can test teachers for drugs before they're hired, and teachers can also face testing under other circumstances, such as when an administrator has a reasonable suspicion of drug abuse. Both the West Virginia Education Association and the state's chapter of the American Federation of Teachers support such policies. Judy Hale, president of AFT-WV, says they agree with pre-employment testing. Department of Education spokeswoman Liza Cordeiro says West Virginia does not have a statewide policy mandating pre-employment drug testing for teachers though it does require it for school bus drivers. A federal law governing transportation employees also allows for random, post-accident, and reasonable suspicion drug testing.