Pubdate: Tue, 04 Dec 2001
Source: Athens Banner-Herald (GA)
Copyright: 2001 Athens Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.onlineathens.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1535
Author: Michael A. Ashmore

ARTICLE ABOUT DRUGS IN SCHOOLS ONLY HIGHLIGHTED NEGATIVES

Only in the best of all possible worlds would the media refuse to take 
great sport in drawing blood when reporting the unseemly, and the negative 
that often occur in the school systems across our great nation.

Because no quarter was given by the press, those who criticize Clarke 
County Schools are given more ammunition. Particularly helped are those who 
figure that a solution to every educational dilemma is to simply move to 
any of the outlying counties. November 26's report, viewed through several 
lenses, leads me to question what faction this article was written for. In 
particular and of note was: a story which was biased and holistically 
covered the negative side of the issue much more diligently than the 
positive; a presentation too simplistic in its view of the problem; a 
display weak in understanding the complexity of school life in contemporary 
America; an appalling lack of understanding of statistics and social 
science research.

School administrators, like Dr. Lewis Holloway, Dr. Maxine Easom and Mr. 
Charles Worthy, whose job is often a thankless one, walk a fine line 
balancing the demand of parents who insist that the schools remain 
drug-free regardless of the cost to the student rights, while another camp 
demands the school administrators respect the rights of students at any cost.

In the best of all possible worlds, drug-sniffing dogs would have no place 
on a high school campus. But this is not the best of all possible worlds.

Michael A. Ashmore
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart