DRUG POLICY FOR TEACHERS TO GET TOUGHER

Contract Still To Give Staffers Second Chance

The name Robbie Sites will haunt the Escambia County School Board for a
long time to come.

The teacher who reported to work high on cocaine and then won the right to
keep his job made national news and frustrated the School Board and
Superintendent Jim Paul. Board Chairman John DeWitt and Paul said they
should have the right to terminate Sites for his action.

But, according to his contract, they did not.

Although Sites resigned after winning in court, board members want to make
sure they're not in that situation again.

The board is close to an agreement with the local teachers union that gives
them more freedom to discipline employees with drug and alcohol problems.
But under the proposed changes, which are being negotiated, Sites still
would have his job.

"We are closer to arriving at contractual language that sets out in clear
terms that neither we, nor the district, believe it's appropriate for
anyone who's impaired, or under the influence of drugs, to be around
students," said Bob Husbands, the union's executive director. "The issue
that still remains is: How do you deal with a person when it's a first-time
offense?"

According to the proposed language, an employee who tests positive for
drugs at work, even a teacher in the classroom, can be suspended without
pay. But that person can be reinstated after completing a rehabilitation
program at his or her expense and be subject to drug or alcohol screening
on demand.

Repeat offenders would be subject to dismissal.

DeWitt said the new contract is likely to be as tough as the board can get.

"There's a two-year period for random testing. The employee would pay for
all their rehab. And during that time, they would be suspended without
pay," DeWitt said. "I think that follows the state law pretty carefully."