Are NC children safe as they return to school?

Teacher background checks From predators to personal information, there’s a substantial list of items that children needs protecting from as they enter the new school year. Background checks for teachers has long been an issue for many states, North Carolina included. Despite teacher background checks being implemented with increased legislation, teacher’s unions have long made it difficult to get unsuitable teachers removed from the education system. However, under an education reform package rolled out earlier this year by Senate Republicans, North Carolina’s public school teachers would see employment tenure eliminated, but become eligible for performance bonuses. This should hopefully add a further level of protection for students. Federal Trade Commission When it comes to protecting your child’s personal information, the FTC has a developed child identity theft prevention tips document for ‘Protecting Your Child’s Personal Information at School’ . The goal of this is to let parents know that many school forms containing the personal and sensitive information of their children could be used to commit fraud in their child’s name if the information falls into the wrong hands. This advice should go some way to ensuring children are protected from this type of abuse. While we can never protect our children 100%, there’s no doubt – whether you are a parent, student, or other citizen – when it comes to the youth of our society they need to be protected. Rightly considered a vulnerable section of society, it is our duty to them to ensure that they are in safe hands. With new legislation, more of a focus on background checks and the FTC advice, North Carolina is certainly in a stronger position to do this at the start of the 2012-13 school year.]]>