EmployeeScreenIQ

A recent audit completed by the Utah State Legislature is causing many citizens to ask that school employees undergo background checks. To learn more about background checks, click here.

The audit, which was released in April, found the current system for finding criminal histories of public school employees to be flawed and ineffective. That outcome has pushed lawmakers and state education leaders toward working to improve awareness of teacher arrests and implement background checks.

The audit sampled about 1,200 people at 32 schools in Salt Lake, Jordan, Granite and Davis school districts. Of those, 17 employees, or 1.4 percent, were found to have "concerning criminal convictions," while 49 employees, or 4.1 percent, had criminal histories.

Criminal convictions included felony sex assault, indecent exposure, aggravated assault, theft and drug use. Of the employees found to have convictions, nine were convicted before they were hired, six after being hired and two had been convicted both before and after they were hired.

The Legislature's Education Interim Committee reviewed the audit last week. The State Board of Education's Law and Policy Committee is drafting rules to change the system and implement more oversight.

One possible rule would require both licensed and classified employees to report any arrests or convictions to their charter school district superintendent within 48 hours. The offense would then be reported to the state education office. The rules would place offenses involving sex, drugs, alcohol and crimes against a person highest on the list.

Another potential rule would implement a personal database that would alert education employers about arrests. The database would include the employee's name, date of birth and Social Security number.

Finally, all new employees and teachers renewing their licenses would be required to undergo fingerprint testing and a criminal background check. That rule would cause the teacher licensing fee to increase from $50 to $70.

Labels: Background checks

Instead of taking action to protect its students, the State of Indiana recently passed a law that protects teachers from lawsuits for disciplining students.

Several cities and states are taking action to make background checks more rigorous for teachers, but this is the first time Indiana will require its teachers to undergo background checks.

Gov. Mitch Daniels recently signed a bill into law that will give teachers immunity from lawsuits for disciplining students as long as they act reasonably and in good faith. Daniels said the new state law was one of his top non-economic priorities for the 2009 legislative session.

According to an article by WIBC, State School Superintendent Tony Bennett campaigned for the provision, saying it will help develop a culture where disciplined classrooms prevail in the state. However, Bennett said he doesn't know how many teachers have double-clutched on attempts to keep order.

"What we need to do is not think about how much this situation occurs," he said in the article. "We need to think about developing a culture where disciplined classrooms prevail."

The bill will require criminal background checks before teachers are hired and create a public database of teachers convicted of drug or sex crimes. The law will further require school districts to check for past convictions in any county where a teacher has lived. School officials also have the option of ordering a national background check.

The House of Representatives unanimously approved the bill before it was sent to Daniels.

Labels: Background checks