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The Amy Hestir (HESTER) Davis Child Protection Act would make some changes to the current hiring process for teachers in public schools. The bill which state representative recently introduced, is designed to protect children from sexual misconduct in the classroom. The Missouri State Teacher's Association has some concerns with the legislation. KSMU's Emily Nash reports. (KSMU's Missy Shelton Contributed to this report).
Representative Jane Cunningham filed the Amy Hestir (HESTER) Davis Child Protection Act to address concerns she had with the current hiring process for teachers.
The bill would require teachers to obtain a more extensive background check before getting a teaching certificate and a periodic re-check of teachers with licenses.
Todd Fuller is the Missouri State Teacher's Association Public Information Director.
He says Missouri school districts already have a process in place to protect students from sexual misconduct in the classrooms.
"If a school administrator or a school administrator or school board member are concerned about an individual, that they are potentially considering to hiring, they need to of course look at that background check. And that background check is going to show everything from arrest to convictions not just convictions of an individual. And if they have any doubts or hesitations of an individual whatsoever, they shouldn't hire that individual into the school district."
MSTA doesn't want the current hiring process to be thrown out.
Fuller says if changes need to be made, the process should be evaluated and improved.
MSTA also disagrees with part of the legislation that would require the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to maintain a list of teachers accused of sexual misconduct, even if they were never charged with a crime.
The list would only be seen by state officials and school district during the hiring process.
Fuller says if the accusations are false, it puts teachers in an uncomfortable situation.
"We'd have serious reservations about that, primarily because we have dealt with teachers that have been accused in the past and have of things that in the past we have found out later on not to be true whatsoever. And to place a stigma upon an individual or put them in some kind of position where there is a hidden list somewhere, seems kind of like several steps backwards in terms of how we treat individuals and how we treat professionals in a teaching setting."
Fuller says MSTA wants to protect children from sexual misconduct, and is working with the current hiring process to make sure it doesn't happen in the classrooms.
"In Missouri, because the guidelines are there, because there's a process in place, I think that most school districts are trying to make sure that they are aware of what's happening and their making sure that those individuals are not in the classrooms um teaching if there is any indication of misconduct."
For more information about the Amy Hestir Davis Child Protection Act we have a link on our web site at KSMU. ORG.
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