Pubdate: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 Source: Huntsville Times (AL) Copyright: 2004 The Huntsville Times Contact: http://www.htimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/730 LEE HIGH'S HEADACHE The School Must Now Recover From The Shock Of Its Principal's Arrest Huntsville's Lee High School is in shock. Its principal, charged Thursday with possessing crack cocaine, resigned by phone while in police custody. On Friday, education took a back seat to concern and uncertainty for administrators, teachers and students there. Harry Smith, 49, formerly of Muscle Shoals, was brought in by Superintendent Ann Roy Moore to take the top job at Lee in 2002. His tenure had sparked occasional controversy, like the months-long battle with the parents of special-education students over changes Smith was backing in Lee's previously highly regarded program. A conflict over compulsory Saturday School attendance also flared up. But all principals face controversy. Relatively few, thank goodness, are charged with possessing several rocks of crack. Smith is due his day in court. He's innocent until proven guilty. No one should rush to judgment. That being said, the situation should cause leaders of public school systems to re-examine the way they check backgrounds and continually evaluate the highest and the mightiest among them. Various school systems in the state have been trying to stanch the drug problem by testing specific groups of students - those who participate in athletics or extra-curricular activities or those who drive vehicles to school, for example. This incident shows that it's folly to exempt teachers and administrators from such testing if any testing is imposed. Right now, the immediate problem is the understandably low morale among teachers and confusion among students at Lee. And there's the stigma many will feel because of what's transpired. Administrators, teachers and students have a long weekend to regroup. Come Tuesday, after the President's Day holiday, strong and inspiring leadership, student maturity and a refocusing on educational purpose are what Lee needs most. While the law takes its course, Moore and her staff, the school board and anyone who cares about Lee High School must realize they have a school suffering a world of hurt right now - and those who can must step forward to try to ease the pain. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin