BEST ARTICLE OF THE DAY
Jan 9, 2008 - After the Sarasota Herald Tribune series on teacher misconduct in March 2007, and following presentation of a Senate staff report on teacher misconduct, the Florida Senate Education Committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to draft a bill that would revamp how the state responds to educators who abuse students.
According to the report, the state Department of Education has not communicated effectively with districts, districts enter into confidentiality agreements that protect dangerous teachers, and teachers are either unable or unwilling to recognize troubling behavior by their colleagues.
TT = They don't link to it, but the Senate Interim Project Report 2008-11 can be found here Pdf Some recommendations from that report include,
Adding a law enforcement official to the panel that disciplines teachers and penalizes school administrators who fail to report misconduct. (Specifically, they suggest a federal law enforcement official be added in order to promote changes at the national level. Leading to, they hope, a national database.) Senate added recommendation to include parents.
Amend current laws to prohibit school districts from entering into confidentiality agreements when terminating employees for unethical behavior. This recommendation protects students across district lines.
Amend current laws to require school districts to report all instances of termination. Senate added: Regardless of cause. Require DOE to include termination information to be on a secured website accessible by school districts.
Hold the district Superintendent and school board responsible for the actions of employees and provide penalties for noncompliance. (Senate added.)
Amend current laws to provide for financial penalties, suspension or revocation of a teaching certificate, or termination of employment if a district fails to report alleged or actual educator misconduct, fails to properly screen potential employees, or enters into confidentiality agreements that conceal unethical conduct.
There are other recommendations. The report is 7 pages long and is well worth reading.
FLORIDA EDUCATION PRACTICES COMMISSION
As for the Florida Education Practices Commission, from an AP story on the report:
The Florida Education Practices Commission, which includes teachers, administrators and lay members who often are retired educators, can suspend or revoke teaching certificates or take other disciplinary action. Adding law enforcement officials would give the panel needed expertise in cases that involve potential or actual criminal conduct, Senate staffers concluded. They also suggested parents be included to further broaden the board's perspective.Also see Senator Gaetz - Senate Education Report to Northwest Florida - Jan. 2, 2008
Educators often are unwilling to believe colleagues are capable of misconduct, [Sen. Lisa] Carlton [R - Osprey.] said.
