随着全国大多数学区的返校时间迫在眉睫——并且一些学区已经开学——对教师、志愿者和访客的背景调查一直是一个热门话题。最近关于这个主题的标题来自印第安纳州，据报道，该州的大会正在考虑对学校雇员进行更严格的背景调查。
根据Indy Star最近的一份报告，大会可能会修改法律，以便学校员工必须更频繁地进行背景调查。目前，州法律只要求教师和其他员工每五年进行一次背景调查。大会还在考虑在教师执照阶段进行背景调查。目前，教师在向州政府申请或获得教学许可证时无需经过筛选。相反，背景调查的负担落在学区身上。
在今日美国网络调查之后，印第安纳州大会于今年早些时候重新审视了学校员工筛选法。该调查根据不同的标准在 AF 量表上对美国的每个州进行了分级。印第安纳州是获得“F”等级的 12 个州之一。成绩不及格的很大一部分原因是国家没有在许可阶段筛选教师。
印第安纳州法律要求每所学校在招聘新员工之前都要对新员工进行背景调查。据管理员称，许可阶段的检查将为系统增加另一层安全性。要求每五年重复一次背景调查也有助于减少滥用或未报告犯罪活动的可能性。目前，学校只需要在招聘时进行背景调查。虽然地区可以维持自己的重新检查现有员工的政策，但州政府没有强制执行任何法律要求。
在今日美国网络调查可能不是印第安纳州的大会正在检修状态的学校工作人员的背景检查法律的唯一原因。在印第安纳波利斯星报告指出，国家已经看到的，涉及教师和学生的性侵害案件皮疹。通过对教师实施另一层背景调查，并使重复背景调查成为学区的法律责任，该州旨在防止此类丑闻在未来发生。
According to a recent report from Indy Star, the General Assembly could change the law so that school employees have to go through background checks more frequently. Right now, state law only requires teachers and other employees to go through background checks every five years. The General Assembly is also considering background checks at the teacher licensing stage. Teachers don't currently have to go through screenings when they apply for or receive teaching licenses from the state. Instead, the burden of background checks falls on the school districts.
The Indiana General Assembly was moved to take another look at school employee screening laws earlier this year after a USA TODAY Network investigation. The investigation graded every state in the country on an A-F scale based on different criteria. Indiana was one of 12 states to receive a grade of "F." A big part of the reason for the failing grade is that the state doesn't screen teachers at the licensing stage.
Indiana state law requires every school to run background checks on new personnel before hiring. According to administrators, checks at the licensing stage would add another layer of security to the system. Requiring repeat background checks every five years would also help to reduce the likelihood of abuse or unreported criminal activity. Right now, schools only have to run background checks at the time of hiring. While districts can maintain their own policies for re-checking existing employees, the state enforces no legal requirement.
The USA TODAY Network investigation might not be the only reason that Indiana's General Assembly is working to overhaul the state's school personnel background check laws. The Indy Star report noted that the state has seen a rash of sexual abuse cases involving teachers and students. By implementing another layer of background checks for teachers and making repeat background checks a legal responsibility for school districts, the state aims to prevent such scandals from occurring in the future.
