HIGHLY PRAISED PRINCIPAL RETIRES AFTER ARREST ON DRUG, DUI CHARGES

The resignation of a highly praised principal after his arrest for
marijuana possession has saddened some colleagues and parents, though
others say school anti-drug efforts are meaningless if adults don't hold to
a higher standard.

Alvin D. Greene, 49, abruptly retired in May after five years as principal
at Brazier Elementary School in north Mobile. His departure came two weeks
before school was out and one day after he was arrested near his home in
Daphne on charges of driving under the influence and possession of a small
amount of marijuana. Greene pleaded guilty to the DUI, and prosecutors
earlier this week put the marijuana charge on hold for a year, a common
plea-bargain practice, said D. Robert "Rob" Stankoski Jr., assistant
Baldwin County district attorney. It will be dropped if he stays out of
trouble, Stankoski said. Greene was a first-time offender, according to
court records.

Mobile County public schools' drug policy calls for long-term suspensions
on students caught with drugs. But someone in a principal's position
"should face termination," said Patricia Crawford, coordinator of the
school system's anti-drug effort. "You have to have zero tolerance, and the
adults should set an example."

But others said the situation brought a premature end to what they
described as an illustrious career in the local schools. Greene previously
served as a teacher and assistant principal at Holloway Elementary School,
according to the Register's library files.

"He shouldn't have to resign. What happened was his business. That's not
our business," said Cynthia Brazeal, who has four children at Brazier.

Brazier teacher Kathryn Bates said Greene, her longtime colleague, cared
deeply about the school.

"He resigned on his own because he didn't want to bring any bad light to
that school. He didn't have to resign, but that's how much he cared," she
said.

Greene could not be reached for comment: His Daphne telephone number is no
longer in service, and attempts to reach him through his attorney were
unsuccessful.

It's unclear what action the school system administration would have taken
had he not resigned. School system policy does not address drug arrests
away from the workplace. Employees caught with or arrested for possession
of any drugs on school-system property face termination, non-renewal of
their contract, or other disciplinary action, according to the policy.

"It's a shame, really. It's a major loss to the school system," said Kathy
Irwin, the technology coordinator at Brazier. "His heart was in that
community. He did so much."

Greene, in fact, has been called one of the best principals that
sometimes-troubled Brazier Elementary has had. He saw that sidewalks were
installed so kids wouldn't have to walk home in the mud, teachers and
parents say. He had the school rooms painted for the first time in 14
years. He had a security system installed, all but eliminating the
break-ins that teachers say came at the rate of almost one a weekend. The
roof leaks were fixed.

Greene, say teachers and other school employees, also had computers
installed throughout the 500-student school.

Last Halloween, the school held a costume party. When one youngster showed
up without a costume, Greene paid for an outfit out of his own pocket,
teachers recalled.

He also contributed to a sense of pride and security for the community in
this neighborhood tucked between Interstate 65 and the Prichard city
limits, community members say. The school now has two crossing guards where
it once had none, even during summer school.

"He got those sidewalks in," Ms. Irwin said.

The school is still struggling to make improvements, officials agree. Under
Greene's watch, the school dropped from "Caution" status, a step below the
acceptable "Clear" level, to "Alert 2", just a step away from the state
taking it over. But in the 1998-99 year, it improved to Caution status. The
designations are based on standardized test scores for third-, fourth- and
fifth-graders.

To motivate students this past year, Greene promised that everyone who
raised their Stanford Achievement Test scores over the previous year would
win a trip to a water park in Destin, Fla. More than 100 students obliged,
and fund-raisers were held to pay for the trip.

"It takes a while for things to get turned around sometimes," Ms. Bates
said. "I think things were finally starting to pay off."

Greene was replaced by Alan Dailey, who is also highly regarded by
teachers, Ms. Bates and Ms. Irwin said.

Greene's resignation came just before a new, stricter student drug policy
took effect. Starting this fall, if a student is caught on campus with
alcohol or other drugs, he faces long-term suspension and enrollment in a
special school for drug offenders. The superintendent may also recommend
expulsion, Ms. Crawford said.

The previous policy resulted in only a 10-day suspension for the first time
a student is caught with drugs, she said.