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