The first time I was ever fingerprinted was when I became a teacher. They didn't test me too extensively, but they did check to make sure I wasn't a criminal.
They're not always that thorough with current employees. In New Jersey, they found one teacher convicted of child abuse, and two on drug charges. They also found 8 employees convicted of offenses that did not merit firing. Maybe a friendly neighborhood holdup, or one of those white-collar crimes where no one gets dirty.
Maybe we ought to check teachers' records periodically. I always knew there was a good reason I never considered living in Jersey (aside from the fact that every piece of mail I'd receive would say "New Jersey" on it).
Posts
