GLASFORD, Il. - Has Wisconsin finally spread to Illinois?
About 300 people gathered on Aug. 23 in an outdoor field at the American Legion Hall in Glasford, south of Peoria, to support striking teachers at the Illini Bluffs School District.
The strike issue: the school board's insistence during contact negotiations to subject teachers to random drug testing.
That's right: random, a search of the body without probable cause, something that violates the US Constitution which forbids unreasonable searches.
The rally attracted teachers, supporters from other unions, Illinois Federation of Teachers officials, parents and students.
And a smart politician, state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, who is running for Congress in the 17th District. Koehler, who once headed the Peoria Area Labor-Management Council, told the audience that he's backing the teachers. "I'm with you all the way."
The way to have a drug free workplace is to set up a joint teacher-board committee to work on drug issues, he said.
"Random drug testing does not give you an accurate view of what is going on in your building. If it's a power play to force you to do what you don't want to do, shame on them," he said of the school board.
Tyler Hesh, the president of the teacher union at Illini Bluffs, said, "if you have to stand up for what is right, that's what you have to do."
Marcia Campbell, secretary-treasurer of the IFT, with 103,000 members in Illinois, said "I'm so proud of what you are doing. It's harder to stand up for what you believe in than to give in."
IFT president Dan Montgomery said, "you're cause is just, you will prevail." No other Illinois school district subjects its teachers to random drug testing, he said.
A flier was distributed stating that the real issue is the animosity of school board president Dennis Brown against teachers who have complained about his "inappropriate personal relationship" with another district employee.
The relationship has resulted in "financial gain" to the employee, "retaliatory teacher demotions" and "rewarding of (Brown's) supporters with nepotism based jobs."
Random drug testing is retaliation against the teachers, it says. The flier calls on Brown to resign from the board.
"Illini Bluffs parents demand that the 'Peyton Place' environment that has been created by Brown and fostered by his enablers be resolved," it states.
Petitions are being circulated, and one speaker also called for board members who do not agree with Brown to speak up now.
Parents and teachers were ejected from a recent board meeting by police, after the board refused to answer questions from taxpayers, she said.
This is a civil liberties issue, and the teachers are to be commended for standing up for their rights, and the rights of all.
Here's a link to an excellent Peoria Journal Star editorial on the issue.
The American Civil Liberties Union has a long history of opposing random drug testing. See this link on the national ACLU website for a list of cases and lawsuits elsewhere.
-- Elaine Hopkins
I was shocked today to see signs in my subdivision talking about "Peyton Place" and the fact that board members need to be role models. I happen to know that several on the board are good role models. We need our children back in school and teachers need to go back to the classroom. Please follow your heart and not some politician with an agenda.
Posted by: IB mom | August 26, 2011 at 01:29 AM