Cannabis Production = Education Reduction

In Broken Arrow, Oklahoma an elementary school teacher and her youth counselor husband are facing four drug counts in connection with an indoor marijuana growing operation.
Rebecca "Becky" Ann Meador, 33, and Robert Lee Meador, 35, were charged Wednesday in Tulsa County District Court with cultivation of marijuana, unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, failure to obtain a drug tax stamp, and possession of paraphernalia.

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Keith Isbell, a spokesman for the district, said Meador was named Teacher of the Year at Park Lane Elementary School just a month ago. According to the district's Web site, she earned National Board Certification in 2003. National Board Certification complements state licensing by establishing advanced standards for experienced teachers. Oklahoma teachers receive a $5,000 stipend each year if they are certificated.
Robert Meador has worked for the Shadow Mountain Behavioral Health System for several years as a counselor treating children and teenagers with emotional and behavioral problems on an outpatient basis.

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Wow. What could better help to disprove the stereotypes concerning marijuana users than this situation? Here we have two American adults, contributing to their community with educational and social work for several years without any problems. One was the Teacher of the Year at the elementary school she taught at!

I am sure that the Meador's marijuana use was not a newly acquired hobby. It is very probable that they have used it for a long time and if so, they have obviously been able to do so in a responsible manner. If this event had not occurred Robert and Rebecca would have more than likely continued to contribute to their community, interact with students, and provide help to troubled youth.

Does this not seem counterproductive towards the goals of education for our youth? Removing two qualified and involved teachers from this school is not going to have any benefit for students. And what kind of a message does it send to the young students of the school? I can only begin to imagine some of the propaganda that will be used to explain this complicated situation to elementary school students.

These kids are going to eventually make the connection that their teacher or counselor were able to attain all the goals that DARE class told them "drug users" could never accomplish. They will realize that whatever the punishment may be for the Meador's (could be stiff; Okalahoma Marijuana Laws), it did not make them or their community any safer.