Background Checks Required for Teachers, and Student Teachers
This article points out the fact that the opportunity for student teachers to do harm is just as real as full-time teachers and other school employees. Therefore, the State of Kansas is wise to consider it mandatory to require the school district to perform background checks if the student teacher’s college does not provide one.
“There’s no reason to allow into our schools a student teacher who wouldn’t be able to pass through the standard licensing process”, states the author.
The cost of a background check is miniscule when compared to the cost of a negligent hiring lawsuit. All it takes is one student teacher with a prior sexual or violent offense, who is accused of wrongdoing with a student, to potentially cause major financial disaster for a school district.
Source - Universities and school districts must ensure student teachers are properly vetted
November 17th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I think that anyone working with students should be required to do finger printing and have a background check screening done. Like stated above, the cost of this screening is so small to ensure that students of all ages are safe.
January 20th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
http://schoolvolunteerbackgroundcheck.blogspot.com/
Not only should student teachers, certified teacher, but anyone the school district gives access to students including volunteers. Just click on the link and look at what happened to one Kanss school. More specifically, Liberal, Kansas. The man who was a school volunteer had a history of Molestation that was known in his previous place of residence and the school district in Liberal allowed him access to students for many years before he was stopped in Liberal.