Clean classwork

Anti-drug programs are a growing part of school kids' day

Chris Richards, The Arizona Daily Star Ben Korte, left, works on an anti-drug program exercise with classmate Tony Weber at Coyote Trail Elementary School in Marana. In the background is another fifth-grader, Jessica Blancas. Chris Richards, The Arizona Daily Star Coyote Trail fifth-grader Travis Allen gives the thumbs-up sign in response to the idea of staying drug-free. Sergey Shayevich, 1998 Star file photo Barry McCaffrey, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, touts media effort at La Cima school. Chris Richards, The Arizona Daily Star Marana Police Department Officer Gerrie Tinsley leads anti-drug class for Coyote Trail fifth-graders, including Jeffrey Syniec. Chris Richards, The Arizona Daily Star Coyote Trail fifth-grader Aaron Jabro scans fact sheet.

If kids are doing drugs, it can't be out of ignorance.

Just about every day in this town, you'll find students from kindergarten through high school filling out workbooks, taking health classes, filing into assemblies - all in an effort to stay off drugs.

The Amphitheater Public Schools district has 10 anti-drug programs sprinkled among its curricula.

The Tucson Unified School District spends close to a half-million dollars a year on anti-drug programs.

Sunnyside Unified School District maintains a wellness clinic that counsels kids caught using drugs.

Flowing Wells Unified School District - along with several other districts - devotes five days, known as Red Ribbon Week, to promoting anti-drug messages.

The Marana Unified School District maintains a plethora of activities, including - believe it or not - a Miss Manners program that teaches drug prevention.

Of all the programs used in the schools, perhaps the best known is DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), which in Tucson is taught by Pima County sheriff's officers.

Although the national program has been criticized by some as ineffective, it continues to grow. In use here since 1987, DARE is now in place in 43 elementary schools in Pima County.

The Marana Police Department also sends one of its officers, Gerrie Tinsley, to two Marana elementary schools, as well as one in the Flowing Wells district.

``We do a 17-week program in the fifth grade, but we stretch it out all year,'' says Tinsley, who's in her second year on this beat.

In the classroom

Like all teachers, she does a little review.

``Remember the video we saw on mind-altering drugs?'' she asks the class. ``Remember the way these drugs change the way you see, hear, react?''

Indeed, they do. For the next hour, the kids solemnly pore over worksheets, raise their hands at every question, and listen with rapt attention as Tinsley goes over the consequences of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana.

In three weeks, all these students will take the pledge to stay violence- and drug-free.

Not everyone will, of course.

Which is why the drumbeat continues, particularly in middle school. For it is in this age group, drug counselors say, where kids start to do drugs.

``Magic moment''

``Middle school is the age when kids begin to ask, `Who is that person on the other side of the mirror?' It's that magic moment when a person begins to define self.''

To ensure that it's self-definition minus the drugs, La Cima uses everything from manners to after-school sports. ``We teach kids life skills like greeting visitors with a handshake,'' says Woodall.

On any weekday afternoon, the school suits up six teams in basketball, soccer, football. ``Anybody that shows up gets a uniform,'' says Woodall.

To avoid the anonymity that comes from shifting into a large middle school, La Cima shuffles kids into a homeroom a half-hour every day. Only 15 students are in each homeroom, and they have the same teacher for all three grades.

These are the teachers who monitor academic progress and attendance and contact parents.

The school has a zero-tolerance policy on drugs. Kids caught doing drugs will be suspended, per district policy, says Woodall.

For the current school year to date, one student has been suspended for hard drugs at La Cima, three for tobacco, three for alcohol, says Woodall.

Amphi programs

Students caught with drugs on campus are suspended for 10 days and must serve a minimum of five days out of school. (Administrators can reduce the suspension to five days if circumstances warrant.)

Depending on the circumstances, students also may be referred to in-house or outside counseling, placed in an alternative school program, or required to perform community service.

To date, the district, which has close to 16,000 students, has had 70 drug-related suspensions or expulsions for the current school year. Ninth-grade males had the most suspensions, 16.

Seven Challenges

The program, which uses the Seven Challenges model developed by Tucson psychologist Robert Schwebel, will begin at Santa Rita High School.

Seven Challenges strives to get kids to realize, without browbeating, that they have a substance-abuse problem.

If all goes well, the program will be expanded to Tucson and Catalina high schools.

``It has to fit in each school. You can't pick it up and drop it in each place,'' says Linda Augenstein, assistant director of comprehensive health education at TUSD.

Funded with $70,000 in grant money from Safe and Drug-Free Schools, the program will use two part-time social workers experienced in substance abuse. They will work with students and their families over an 18-week period.

Though Augenstein insists, ``it's not a treatment program,'' she admits some of the kids ``may have serious drug involvement.'' There will be no drug testing, however.

During the fall 1997 semester, TUSD recorded 413 drug-related suspensions and one expulsion.

Sunnyside message

Elementary grades staff full-time counselors, and the schools offer programs that teach refusal and competency skills.

By middle school, kids are learning about the harmful effects of drugs. However, Storm says, ``we try to emphasize healthy living, a positive attitude. Scare tactics don't work.''

In high school, the anti-drug message shifts to programs. ``We bring in speakers, performers,'' says Storm. ``It's more assembly-based.''

During the 1996-1997 school year, the district, which has 14,100 students, imposed 122 short-term, drug-related suspensions.

Suspensions vary from one to nine days, says Storm, depending on whether it's a first, second or third offense.

For a third offense, students may face a long-term suspension of anywhere from nine days to a year.

However, the district also offers an alternative through its wellness center, which is funded by Title 1 and tobacco tax money, as well as the United Way.

Here, students wrestling with drugs undergo counseling as well as periodic drug tests. Families are also involved.

The majority of kids facing long-term suspension opt for this program as a way to stay in school, says Storm.

``Of the 115 long-term suspensions for 1996-1997, 85 were offered and took the option,'' says Storm.

Students caught selling are automatically suspended for one year. Parents and the police are called for all drug offenses.

Marana's anti-drug weapons

In the earlier grades, the kids get DARE. Junior high grades seven and eight have Teen Court, as well as prevention programs that delve into problem-solving and decision-making.

High school students learn how the media glamorize drug use. Students also have various support groups, including one for kids who may be using - or toying with the idea.

The district also runs an alternative school known as ACE (Another Chance at Education), geared toward sixth- to 10th-graders who have been suspended or expelled.

Of the 30 students currently enrolled, 13 are there because of prior drug offenses.

Students are required to take part in counseling, do community service and undergo drug testing.

``We've seen some amazing success stories, says the principal, Kim Holaway. ``But you've got to have the motivation of the individual.''

The district is tough on kids caught with drugs on campus. For the first or second offense, the suspension can range from 11 to 176 days. For the third occurrence, it's expulsion.

That 11-day suspension, by the way, only applies to kids who agree to undergo outside counseling.

``For the first offense, it's usually 45 days suspension, which is reduced to 11 days with counseling,'' says Holaway.

To date this school year, the district, which has 10,500 students, has had 52 drug-related suspensions.

Flowing Wells' efforts

``If we find it on you, you're subject to a short-term suspension of 10 days or less,'' he says. A hearing to consider a long-term suspension also is held.

``If a child is fairly clean, he has the option, with his parents' approval, to get back in school,'' says Corkill. ``But he must submit to two random urine checks during the next semester.'' Parents pick up the $60 tab.

Students also undergo counseling at the high school. ``Ninety percent of our students take that option,'' says Corkill, whose district has 6,060 students.

However, students with ``priors'' get no such option and are suspended for the rest of the semester.

During the fall semester, Corkill estimates, eight or nine students underwent drug-related, long-term suspension hearings.

Besides Red Ribbon Week, the district also offers DARE, leadership retreats at the junior high and high school levels, and a health curriculum at each grade level ``full of substance abuse initiatives,'' says Corkill.