Teacher Smackdown

Boy is this causing a lot of flap out here in Colorado. The Conifer High School Yearbook contains pictures depicted drug and alcohol use.

There are two pages under the heading “Health - addicted to addictions” containing photos and text about alcohol, cigarettes and prescription drugs, along with photos of students smoking pot and using a bong. Another page shows police officers “busting our parties” and refers to law enforcement as “a necessary evil.” Under “Regrets and Mistakes,” three girls are shown holding up a citation for minor in possession of alcohol.

Parents are pissed. Families offended by photos and text can get their money back or have their copies treated. If it was me, I’d clip and print out stories about the incident, put it in a manilla envelope, and tape it to the yearbook. That way my student can look back and see teachers, like advisor Amy McTague, do really dumb things.

What was she thinking? According to her apology letter:

I would like to apologize to the students, staff and community of Conifer High School for my poor judgment while advising this year’s yearbook staff. It wasn’t my intent or my students’ intent to portray such a negative tone in their attempt to cover all aspects of a student’s life and some of the very difficult choices they face. My editor and I have discussed at length and have agreed that there was no balance on the pages that are of concern and that some elements are completely inappropriate. These issues detract from the many wonderful things that are included in this book.

I hope that as we move forward you will allow me to become part of a positive and constructive response to this situation. It raises the point that we do have a larger issue in keeping students safe and healthy. I in no way condone or have ever condoned underage drinking or drug use of any kind and would like to make a positive impact on these issues with our students.

The yearbooks were distributed the same day two Conifer students died in a one-vehicle crash. THC, which is found in marijuana, was in the bloodstream of the vehicle’s driver.

Both these incidents make Conifer’s students seem like a bunch of degenerate druggies, when in actuality it’s a good high school with an award winning marching band. See Conifer High School student Kayla Huddleston’s take on the yearbook snafu.

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Conifer High School, Conifer Colorado, yearbook pictures, drugs and alcohol, teen drug use, teenage drinking