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September 16, 2005
Educators want access to new teachers' criminal histories
By SAMANTHA YOUNG
But the results that school managers get back are often incomplete because only law enforcement agencies have privileges to examine federal and state crime databases, education officials say. House lawmakers on Wednesday took a step to broaden school access to information on convicted criminals, who otherwise are sheltered by privacy laws. Lawmakers also authorized a study of a new Nevada law that aims to track sex offender registrations through drivers' licenses. The issues were addressed in amendments sponsored by Reps. Jon Porter and Jim Gibbons, both R-Nev. They were added to a bill that strengthens sex offender laws. To vet teachers, coaches and other school officials, Nevada schools currently go through the Nevada Department of Public Safety to get background checks on potential new hires. Last year, the state forwarded 8,069 background checks to the FBI on behalf of Clark County and another 2,272 background checks for schools elsewhere in the state, said Kim Evans, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Public Safety. Schools are informed only whether the applicant has a criminal record, Evans said. School officials say they want to see more. "Whenever you hire anyone whose going to have access to children, you need to know what their criminal history is," said Dr. George Ann Rice, associate superintendent for human resources at the Clark County School District. A Porter amendment would permit schools to go through the governor or the state school superintendent to gain access to background checks from the FBI and 27 states that currently do not share that information for privacy reasons. "When we're recruiting from another state, we'd like to know everything about that teacher," Porter said. "This should help make it easier and faster." In Nye County, where the school district actively recruits teachers in response to growth in Pahrump, district trustees face the same problems. In an effort to encourage states to change their laws, Porter initially had recommended withholding federal education funds from states that refuse to hand over criminal records. Instead, Porter's new legislation authorizes -- but does not require - the Department of Justice to check state criminal records on behalf of schools. The FBI has access to state records. Gibbons sponsored an amendment directing the Government Accountability Office to study a new Nevada law aimed at keeping track of registered sex offenders. The study will look at the Nevada program - which is scheduled to go into effect next July - to determine whether it could be adopted in all states. "Nevada leads the nation in our efforts to prevent this despicable crime by requiring sex offenders to be properly registered before they are issued a driver's license," Gibbons said in a statement. "Other states should follow Nevada's lead." |
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