Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/477973
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y S C O T T B U S C H M A N By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin, Mike Myslinski and Frank Wells Is you sick? making your school Lake Elsinore A cluster of cancer cases and other illnesses prompted an investigation to determine the cause. Malibu Two school sites containing PCBs caused fear among staff and parents — setting the stage for a media circus when a celebrity parent pulled her children out of school. Redding Teachers were hospitalized after mold was discovered in their classrooms. Huntington Beach Three schools were closed after classrooms tested positive for asbestos, which is carcinogenic if inhaled. C H O O L S A R E S U P P O S E D T O B E a safe place for students and staff, and most of the time they are. But on some California campuses, toxic substances may be responsible for health problems. In a two-part series, we meet educators to discuss how their toxic school environment made them sick, as well as what you can do if you suspect a toxin at your school poses a threat to the health and well-being of students and staff. S Salinas Teachers are raising the alarm about the health impacts for kids because of pesticide use near schools, including lower birth rate and IQ. 9 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 7 Feature