How to Do a Background Search on Teachers
Investigations in 2007 revealed criminal convictions in teachers' files that included charges of theft, assault and stalking, according to Public School Review. Although most public schools have methods for evaluating teachers' credentials, background and integrity, it's important for some parents to run their own background searches to make sure their children are safe around teachers and school staff. Most states provide information on their websites or will provide the information on request by phone. There are other ways to perform this search, too.
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Instructions
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Open a search engine on your web browser, such as Google, AOL or Yahoo!
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Type the name of your state in the browser's search bar, and add ".gov" next to the state's name. Hit the "Enter" key.
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Open your state's official website from the search results, which should be among the top results.
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Find the "Education" link or tab on the website. The layout of each state's website is different, but all of them have a separate section for the Department of Education.
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Find details on teacher certification on the website. If you cannot find a direct link, type "teacher certification" or "teacher background" in the website's search field, and hit the "Enter" key. Many states offer teacher certification history, but your state may not necessarily provide this information for public viewing.
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Call the Department of Education of your state if you do not find the option to run a background search on teachers on the state's website. You can find the contact information on the website. Inquire about the process of running a background check on the teacher.
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Consult a website that performs criminal background checks. Some of these websites include Criminal Searches, Free Background Checks USA and US Search (see the Resources). On these websites, you can run a background search of a teacher by searching his name and the state where he lives. These websites cost around $15, as of 2011, to get the full report.
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Tips & Warnings
When searching for a teacher on a background checks website, be advised that common names often return results from other people. Make sure that all of the information in the search results matches with the teacher in question so you don't end up making false accusations.
