Teacher checks rank among the most thorough of all background checks.
Our goal is to make the hiring process as easy and efficient as possible, while providing you with accurate, up-to-date information you can rely on.
Background Checks for Child Service Professionals & Teachers
In the education sector, teacher background checks are essential for ensuring the safety and security of students. These checks are comprehensive and cover various aspects of a teacher’s background. Here’s what teacher background checks typically involve:
- Criminal background checks: Most teacher and employee background checks include criminal history searches, which could include drug offenses, violence, sexual abuse, child abuse, or neglect. The Elite Check includes sex offender registry searches and criminal record searches from the United States and its territories.
- Verification of education: To become a licensed teacher, job applicants must have a teaching degree from an accredited college or university. Verification of a teacher’s education is a crucial part of school background checks to ensure that the teacher’s claims about their education are true.
- Checks on employment histories: Teacher background checks typically include an employment history check to confirm a teacher’s previous employment and gain insight into their professional experience. This check can also reveal if a teacher was terminated from a previous position for misconduct. Reference checks with former employers or colleagues may also be conducted to learn about a teacher’s teaching style, work ethic, and interactions with students.
Additionally, federal law mandates that anyone working in a child care program as an employee or volunteer, anyone who cares for or supervises children, or anyone with unsupervised access to children undergoes a criminal background check. The background check must include a search of the National Sex Offender Registry, state criminal and sex offender registries in every state the applicant has lived in over the past five years, and state child abuse and neglect registries in every state the applicant has lived in over the past five years.
Overall, teacher background checks are crucial for maintaining a safe and secure learning environment for students. By conducting thorough background checks, schools can ensure that they are hiring qualified and trustworthy individuals who can provide a positive and safe learning experience for their students.