Northwest Indiana School Districts Implementing Nationwide Criminal Background Checks
Local school districts in Northwest Indiana are moving toward more extensive criminal background checks for potential teachers.
The Indiana State Police database conducts limited background checks for free, but several districts have implemented a policy that uses a nationwide criminal background service, which has the ability to check credit history, sex offender registries, and correctional systems.
However, many officials do not believe that credit reports are a factor in considering employment of teachers, but are important in considering school treasurers and fiscal managers.
A Merrillville School District official said the more in-depth search was necessary because there were individuals with records who were not in the Indiana report, making a nationwide investigation an important necessity in protecting its students.
Also, applicants from outside the state of Indiana apply for these jobs, making nationwide searching essential.
Substitute teachers can sign up to work in several Northern Indiana districts, but because the districts communicate with each other, only one background check is necessary.
Robert McDermott, co-chair of the Lake County Safe School Commission, said legislation was proposed in the Indiana General Assembly last session to make extensive checks for employment in Indiana schools a requirement but it didn’t pass. In conversations with local legislators, the possibility of reintroducing the legislation could be brought up again in 2009.
October 25th, 2008 at 7:00 am
[...] Northwest Indiana School Districts Implementing Nationwide … The Indiana State Police database conducts limited background checks for free, but several districts have implemented a policy that uses a nationwide criminal background service, which has the ability to check credit history, … [...]
November 10th, 2008 at 1:14 am
[...] save a business money and helps them run more efficiently. Using an outside company to conduct background checks also frees up the employee that would be handling the investigation if the office decided to do it [...]
November 10th, 2008 at 1:23 am
[...] save a business money and helps them run more efficiently. Using an outside company to conduct background checks also frees up the employee that would be handling the investigation if the office decided to do it [...]