| Since 2003, the Texas schools have
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| | Senator Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) was
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| required background checks for all newly
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| | appalled by the fall news articles that
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| hired teachers and certified employees.
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| | cited some Texas schools teachers had
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| Anyone not falling into these two
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| | been arrested on sex charges and others
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| categories or hired before 2003 were not
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| | with criminal records. Knowing that
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| included in the background checks, though
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| | nothing is more important than the safety
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| some school districts included them on a
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| | of Texas schools' children, she decided
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| local basis.
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| | to do something about the situation.
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| In the fall of 2006, several newspapers
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| | Shapiro introduced a bill that the
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| investigated the quality of these
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| | legislature passed at the end of March.
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| background checks and found that the
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| | Now, all employees of the Texas schools
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| information was often incomplete or
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| | must pass a national criminal background
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| received weeks or even months after
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| | check. They all must submit to being
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| educators were hired. Here are some of
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| | fingerprinted for this procedure - new
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| the problems with the previous Texas
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| | hires, all current employees, teachers to
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| schools system, according to an article
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| | bus drivers, and administrators to
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| on March 27 by the Dallas Morning News:
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| | janitors. Any employee with a sexual
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| • The Dallas school district conducts
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| | offense or felony against a child on
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| checks, but they did not report the
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| | their record will lose their job. New
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| criminal histories of educators to a
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| | applicants with such records will not be
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| state agency within the required seven
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| | considered. Anyone with a history of
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| days. One teacher had received a deferred
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| | crimes against children will be barred
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| adjudication probation in 2002 for
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| | from employment within the Texas schools.
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| indecent exposure. A teacher's aide had
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| | The new law also establishes a new
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| received probation in 2002 for
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| | statewide clearinghouse for criminal
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| endangering a child.
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| | background information. All state
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| • Since 2003, more than 200 people, who
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| | agencies and all districts within the
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| sought to be certified as educators
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| | Texas schools will have access to the
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| within the Texas schools, were found to
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| | database, which must be current within
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| have serious offenses in their pasts.
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| | three years. The database will be housed
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| These included sexual misconduct and
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| | in the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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| crimes against children.
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| | The new criminal background checks for
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| • As recently as the 2004-2005 school
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| | all employees of the Texas schools and
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| year, 66 certified Texas schools teachers
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| | the creation of the clearinghouse is
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| were found to be registered sex offenders
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| | estimated to cost about $34 million. The
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| by the State Board for Educator
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| | state will pick up the tab for this one.
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| Certification.
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