Bexar County D.A.R.E. Board -

Here is what some Bexar County Educators have to say about the D.A.R.E. Program

“As Fifth grade teachers who have been involved with D.A.R.E. for the past seven years, we have seen the tremendous value that the program has. The program not only covers many state mandated objectives, but also teaches the students many essential life skills that will enable them to lead healthy lives.

Students who have had D.A.R.E. leave fifth grade with better equipped to deal with life in middle school and beyond. The Bexar County D.A.R.E. Program addresses: Virtues, Ability to take care of self, recognize difficult situations, positive peer relations, wake up call for life skills, positive feelings towards law enforcement officers and adults, positive role model for how to participate in the world, health facts/awareness, awareness of misconceptions in the real world - first and only frank discussion about negative situations, reality check and Open/honest conversations from an informed role model.

For many children D.A.R.E. is possibly the first and sometimes the only time a trusted adult (experienced law enforcement officer) will talk to them honestly and openly about some of the dangers that exist in today’s society.

These essential life skills learned through the D.A.R.E. program enable students to lead healthy happy lives.”

"I would like to comment on the many benefits the D.A.R.E. program offers for our children.

As a teacher, I have enjoyed the incentives D.A.R.E. has offered. The sticker incentives have been very helpful in getting our students follow the virtues that are already in place. This has helped motivate the students who do not have intrinsic motivation yet.

D.A.R.E. has also helped our students learn and master several of the health T.E.K.S. that teachers just don’t get the time to teach.

Most of all D.A.R.E. allows our students to get to know a good role model who really cares about them. It gives the kids a chance to ask questions that can get a little hard to answer at times.

Overall, teachers, students, and parents have enjoyed the D.A.R.E. program this year. It has been wonderful, and we look forward to next year."

"I have very strong belief in the D.A.R.E. program. Having graduated from the program myself back in 1991, I know that so much of what is learned stays with you. I can clearly remember lessons being taught my Deputy Mower, and making a decision at a young age never to get involved with drugs. I believe it is important for children to be educated and make a decision about drugs before they are in a situation where they being pressured by peers. Once they are put in that situation it will be too late to make an educated decision. The plain and simple truths that are taught to these children will always stay with them."

---- Randy Barr, 5^th Grade Teacher

"The D.A.R.E. experience appears to have made an impact on my fifth graders at Elm Creek Elementary, Southwest ISD. They often refer to things they learned during the lessons. The D.A.R.E. Officer/Instructor positively impacted their commitment to excellence on the T.A.K.S. test. They all were trying for a score of 100% as they worked today on the T.A.K.S. reading test.

Fifth grade teachers are reluctant to give up any teaching time, but I must admit that the time spent on D.A.R.E. is time well spent. I hope that the County Commissioners Court and the corporate sponsors will continue to provide financial support for this program."

"The D.A.R.E. program in middle school prepares our students for the "real" world. The students benefit from the role playing, direct teaching, real-life scenarios and the positive modeling of the officers. The students need to know what to expect when they are confronted with some of these negative situations. They are given positive alternatives instead of being influenced by peer pressure. I feel it is time well spent in the classroom…... "

"Thanks for the opportunity to address our views towards such a great program. Speaking personally for my classes, for the past seven years that I have participated in the D.A.R.E. program, it has made a great impact on my students. It is amazing to see how the program is viewed and accepted each year. Each group of students is very different from the previous year their expectations and experiences come through during the time of sharing and asking questions. To some of these students the D.A.R.E. program offers them an opportunity to address questions they don't feel comfortable asking others. It also gives them the chance to hear about the effects that drugs have on their bodies. Not that they were not aware, but some how when the officer shares stories or shows pictures it has a greater impact than what they have heard before. I have seen my students absorb the information more enthusiastically and with a greater desire to learn.

I think that the program helps those students who truly desire the help. I have seen and heard some of my students share some of the experiences they have encountered already in fifth grade. The D.A.R.E. program helps them understand what to expect, how to respond, and at times an opportunity to vent about what might me stressing them out. I feel that the D.A.R.E. program has helped a good number of my students be better informed, while others have not been able to combat the pressure from others. But I strongly believe that if we can help even one person to stay drug free and healthy, than we have accomplished a great deal. I am happy to report that for my classroom I feel we have helped more than half of my students every year.

I would also like to share that I am a parent of a student who participated in the D.A.R.E. program and who is now twenty-one years old AND has never done drugs! After talking to her she can't specifically remember all that was covered during the program or how much she enjoyed the presentations, only that they interrupted regular class and it was something to look forward to. Her remarks were that she remembers taking part in the program, but without the support of a strong home environment and great friends with the same believes than who knows. I know that many complain about the interruption before TAKS, but one hour once a week, is not much to give up. I personally would not give it up! I have seen what it can do for my students and would be afraid of not offering them the opportunity to be exposed to this knowledge and experience. They get to have a good positive experience with a law officer and for some this is a very new experience and one they remember always.

"As a district administrator who assists with the coordination of the D.A.R.E. program, I have to say that I have been very pleased. Many of our elementary schools have been requesting this program for years and now that they have it there is a great sense of gratitude. Having spent time on the 6th grade campus during 2006-2007, it was nice to hear positive comments about the students. There is a sense that the students get better each year and while we cannot credit the D.A.R.E. program exclusively for those results, I know that it is a contributing factor in how our 5th graders show up for their 6th grade year.

Overall, we have been pleased with the program and specifically with the quality of the deputies who deliver the program. This truly makes a difference as they have been people who really care about our youth at Southwest. As is said, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” For the D.A.R.E. program I think this is the special part that makes it a huge success. For our young people to see how much these law enforcement officers care for them, begins a great relationship and allows for the impact to be made with the lessons. In the 21st Century, it is the relationship that makes or breaks the learning for our youth and these deputies establish relationships that work so that our students participate powerfully in the program.

Thank you so very much for maintaining your dedication and commitment to the youth of Bexar County. It is an honor and privilege to have you in our district and we are grateful for the contribution you have made and continue to make with our youth. "