"11-year-old Texas girl wrote in diary about sexual abuse by teacher."

"Married Maine teacher indicted for multiple sex romps with student."

These are only a few of the headlines we see in the news almost every day.  A child was molested by their teacher... A teacher is under investigation for sexual assault of a child... Parents find out they are going to be grandparents after learning that their 8th grader has been having a relationship with their teacher...

These so-called "teachers" are simply moving across state lines after having their licenses revoked or resigning from their positions.  In many cases, nothing is stopping them from obtaining a new teaching license in a new state.  How are these teachers being tracked?

As a mother, an education major, and someone who has been the victim of childhood sexual abuse, knowing that there are teachers working across the United States who have a history of sexual misconduct deeply disturbs me.  One example of this is that my own childhood abuser, who now lives in North Carolina, is currently working as a substitute teacher while he is pursuing his degree in education.  Note: "North Carolina has no requirement that people applying for teaching credentials undergo criminal background checks, instead leaving it to the discretion of school districts."   -Steve Reilly, USA Today 2017

In 2010, the United States Government Accountability Office did a study titled K-12 EDUCATION: Selected Cases of Public and Private Schools That Hired or Retained Individuals with Histories of Sexual Misconduct 

What  the GAO Found:
The 15 cases GAO examined show that individuals with histories of sexual
misconduct were hired or retained by public and private schools as teachers,
support staff, volunteers, and contractors. At least 11 of these 15 cases involve
offenders who previously targeted children. Even more disturbing, in at least 6
cases, offenders used their new positions as school employees or volunteers
to abuse more children. GAO found that the following factors contributed to
hiring or retention: (1) school officials allowed teachers who had engaged in
sexual misconduct toward students to resign rather than face disciplinary
action, often providing subsequent employers with positive references; (2)
schools did not perform pre-employment criminal history checks; (3) even if
schools did perform these checks, they may have been inadequate in that they
were not national, fingerprint-based, or recurring; and (4) schools failed to
inquire into troubling information regarding criminal histories on employment
applications. The following table contains information on 4 of GAO’s 15 cases.
Examples of Cases GAO Examined:
School and dates of
employment/
Case details
Multiple Ohio public
schools, August 1993
to May 2006
• Although forced to resign because of inappropriate conduct with female
students, this teacher received a letter of recommendation from the
school superintendent calling him an “outstanding teacher.”
• He was subsequently hired at a neighboring district, where he was
convicted for sexual battery against a sixth grade girl.
Multiple Louisiana
schools, June 2006 to
October 2007
• A teacher and registered sex offender whose Texas teaching certificate
had been revoked was hired by several Louisiana schools without
receiving a criminal history check.
• A warrant is currently out for his arrest on charges of engaging in
sexual conversations with a student at one of these schools.
Arizona public school,
August 2001 to
January 2002
• In a rush to fill a position, this school did not conduct a criminal history
check before hiring a teacher who had been convicted for sexually
abusing a minor, even though he disclosed on his application that he had
committed a dangerous crime against a child.
• He was later convicted for having sexual contact with a young female
student; videos of nude underage girls were found in his possession.
California public
school, August 1998 to
October 2010
• In 2000, the offender was convicted for molesting a minor; the school
was aware of his conviction but did not fire him.
• After GAO referred the case to the California Attorney General, officials
placed the offender on administrative leave. He has since resigned.
Source: Records including police reports, court documents, and interviews.

Why are these individuals being hired to work with our children after they have been previously convicted of these crimes? 

I propose to implement a mandatory national database for hiring teachers, accessible to the public.  Currently, the only national database that tracks teachers' discipline is the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification Clearinghouse (NASDTEC).  According to NASDTEC.net, "States and other member jurisdictions report to the Clearinghouse the names, birth dates, and other identifying information of individuals who have had their professional educator certificates/licenses annulled, denied, suspended, revoked, or otherwise invalidated."  However, this database is voluntary, and only members of the clearinghouse have access to this information.  

Please stand with me, and stand up for our children who have the right to a safe educational environment!  Please talk to your local, state, and federal representatives- This is not a "state's rights" issue!  We have to protect every child in the United States of America from sexual predators in the classroom!

We cannot allow our children to be exposed to these atrocities any longer!