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LATEST FROM KEN'S BLOG:
School Employee & School Teacher Background Checks:
Schools Can Do More to Prevent and Detect Sexual Predators in Schools
Schools typically perform the bare minimum, one-time criminal history checks for teachers and school employees mandated by state law. Red flags in the employment history of new applicants often go undiscovered, and crimes committed by school staff during the term of their employment can easily go undetected.
Schools needs to take several steps to better protect students including:
Identify the limitations of current criminal
history checks (geographical areas covered,
limited to only a select category or categories
of school employees, etc.) and pursue criminal
history checks which cover the widest available
databases and requires checks of all employees.
Go beyond minimum
requirements of criminal history checks by
conducting more detailed background checks which
also look into employment history, past work
performance, educational credential
verification, and similar more detailed personal
histories.
Conduct periodic criminal history checks of
school employees during the course of their
employment.
Establish policies requiring school employees to
report any arrests for crimes to their school
district employer within 24 hours of such
arrests.
Providing training for staff and students, and
create a school culture where students and staff
are feel comfortable in reporting to school
officials and police known and suspected
inappropriate employee misconduct.
Establish a clearly identified process for
intake of complaints of employee misconduct and
create an investigation process which is fair,
objective, and thorough. Notify law
enforcement in a timely manner when allegations
involve alleged actions by an employee which
would constitute a crime.
Avoid "passing the trash" - a long-time
unwritten practice where school officials let
suspected problem employees resign in exchange
for no adverse records placed on the file and no
"bad references" when others inquire.Questions may be directed to Ken Trump.