2008 Woodie Awards
Database reveals teacher misconduct information
Rebecca Kelley
Issue date: 12/4/07 Section: Community
Local school districts are dealing with a new outreach by The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) attempting to make finding misconduct information about local teachers and administrators easier with the new Educator Conduct Search tool.
This tool was made available to the public Nov. 1 and it publicizes the misconduct records of all educators in Ohio.
According to Karla Carruthers, spokesperson for the ODE, these databases allow the public to search by school district or by teacher and find out if any disciplinary actions have been taken against a teacher. Carruthers said this includes misconduct that resulted in suspension or license revocation and other disciplinary actions such as a settlement. She also said that these disciplinary actions could involve
enrollment in classes aimed at sensitivity training for teachers. These actions occur in regards to an incident in the classroom that may not have resulted in a formal suspension.
According to the ODE, the offenses listed in the database include criminal offenses and unbecoming conduct (though no further explanation of unbecoming conduct could be provided) for the educator's profession. One Talawanda School District teacher is listed in the database as having his license revoked for convictions of felony sexual battery and felony attempted sexual battery.
The ability to search through educator misconduct records is not new, according to Carruthers. She said the new databases are simply more thorough, containing records that were not previously publicized. Some misconduct records were posted before this new database was unveiled, but there were many cases that were left out. The new database can be accessed through the ODE Web site.
"(The databases) are a little more user friendly as well," Carruthers said.
Carruthers believes that many people are worried about the accuracy of the databases, however there are no pending investigations listed.
"It's all investigations that have proven to be true," Carruthers said.
This tool was made available to the public Nov. 1 and it publicizes the misconduct records of all educators in Ohio.
According to Karla Carruthers, spokesperson for the ODE, these databases allow the public to search by school district or by teacher and find out if any disciplinary actions have been taken against a teacher. Carruthers said this includes misconduct that resulted in suspension or license revocation and other disciplinary actions such as a settlement. She also said that these disciplinary actions could involve
enrollment in classes aimed at sensitivity training for teachers. These actions occur in regards to an incident in the classroom that may not have resulted in a formal suspension.
According to the ODE, the offenses listed in the database include criminal offenses and unbecoming conduct (though no further explanation of unbecoming conduct could be provided) for the educator's profession. One Talawanda School District teacher is listed in the database as having his license revoked for convictions of felony sexual battery and felony attempted sexual battery.
The ability to search through educator misconduct records is not new, according to Carruthers. She said the new databases are simply more thorough, containing records that were not previously publicized. Some misconduct records were posted before this new database was unveiled, but there were many cases that were left out. The new database can be accessed through the ODE Web site.
"(The databases) are a little more user friendly as well," Carruthers said.
Carruthers believes that many people are worried about the accuracy of the databases, however there are no pending investigations listed.
"It's all investigations that have proven to be true," Carruthers said.
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