The unexplained deaths cited in some articles are from a combination of Ritalin and other drugs, not from Ritalin alone. Further investigation of those cases has revealed that most of the children had unusual medical problems which contributed to their deaths. A very small number of children may show some temporary tics, but these do not become permanent. Ritalin does not permanently alter growth, and usually does not result in weight loss. In some cases, Ritalin even leads to an improvement of the of tics in children who have ADHD and Tourette's.
Teachers are well-meaning individuals who have the best interests of their students in mind.
When they see students who are struggling to pay attention and concentrate, it is their responsibility to bring this to parents' attention, so parents can take appropriate action. However, being on the front lines with children, they collect information, raise the suspicion of ADHD, and bring the information to the attention of parents, who then need to have a full evaluation conducted outside the school. Efforts by teachers to help children who have attentional problems can make more of a difference than medications such as Ritalin. The scientists found that the multi-modal treatment plus the medication was not much better than the medication alone. Teachers and therapists need to continue to do everything they can to help individuals with ADHD, but we need to realize that if we don't also alter the biological factors that affect ADHD, we won't see much change.