D.A.R.E. TEACHER LAUDED

When North Side High School teacher Nita Auer began volunteering in
the D.A.R.E. program 16 years ago, she never imagined it would need
reviving.

Despite the program's struggles, the 55-year-old Fort Wayne native has
been honored as the 2006 D.A.R.E. America Educator of the Year.

Seven years ago, former Fort Wayne Community Schools Superintendent
Thomas Fowler-Finn discontinued D.A.R.E. in the district, citing a
lack of funding.

"The D.A.R.E. program is effective in educating young people about the
harm done with tobacco, alcohol and violence," said Michael Ward,
executive director of D.A.R.E. Indiana, which reaches 500 schools and
62,000 students across the state. "It puts police officers in a
classroom with a positive environment."

In 2000, four Fort Wayne Police officers and four Allen County
Sheriff's officers taught classroom lessons in the D.A.R.E. program.
Sheriff Jim Herman tried to seek more money from the county to keep
the program running, but even today there is a lack of funding for
D.A.R.E.

FWCS spokeswoman Debbie Morgan said the city decided to put its money
toward school resource officers - specially trained police officers
- - and shift drug education to other areas in the curriculum. "They
couldn't afford to pay for both," she said, calling the resource
officers "very successful."

Auer believes a lack of time in the school day factored into
Fowler-Finn's decision.

The D.A.R.E. program used to require 17 lessons per semester, but a
new curriculum introduced has 10 lessons, Auer said. Last month in
Orlando, Fla., she received the 2006 D.A.R.E. America Educator of the
Year Award, partly for her role in helping develop the curriculum.

"I get these officers to a point where they can go to a classroom and
be with kids," said Auer, who has two grown children, Mike and Ryan,
with Dan, her husband of 31 years. "It's so rewarding for me. Teaching
in a classroom, you don't always know your impact, but this really
gave me a lot of feedback. The kids love their D.A.R.E. officers."

Auer, who has worked for FWCS since 1985, will receive a certificate
for her work with D.A.R.E. at Monday's board meeting. It also will
serve as a retirement ceremony of sorts. A few months ago, she
announced she was relinquishing her role in D.A.R.E. The fight to
bring it back to FWCS will continue outside official circles.

"I would like to talk to some people about it," she said.

Ward agreed it would be worth the effort.

"If we can take one person from the Fort Wayne school system that does
not get involved in drugs," he said, "that's one less person that is
going to be contributing to what is an economic nightmare."