Examiner staff writer Tawanda Johnson reported Tuesday that two Carroll County elementary school teachers lost their certificates for cheating on the Maryland School Assessments.
Officials declined to identify the two, who taught fourth grade at Linton Springs and Mount Airy elementary schools.
The punishment fit the crime. Cheaters must not be able to teach in our schools.
Neither should lawbreakers.
The state?s record on keeping criminals out of schools inspires little confidence, however.
A June report from the state Department of Legislative Services? Office of Legislative Audits found 11 sex offenders certified to teach in Maryland from Feb. 1, 2002, through June 30, 2005. None were teaching in Maryland public schools during the time frame of the report, but they could be working in private schools, according to the audit.
Among other findings, the report said that the Maryland State Department of Education lacks adequate procedures to prevent those who have tested positive for drugs or alcohol from driving school buses.
Govans Elementary School in Baltimore City hired a convicted thief, Martius Harding, in 2002. The school allowed him to teach a year after he pleaded guilty to cocaine possession. The school principal and four others even sent letters to the judge in his case in support of Harding.
Supporting a colleague in need is admirable. Allowing him to teach is criminal.
Schools could avoid the majority of problems by screening prospective teachers. They must also require existing teachers to sign yearly statements about any convictions during the year and follow up on those statements with routine background checks. Any discrepancies must be reported to the school district and to the state?s Department of Education.
Some individuals will evade detection, but vigilant oversight will deter criminals from applying to teach and spur those in the system to leave.
How many more criminals need to be outed before the school system makes protecting our children a top priority?
