Shortcomings in the way Utah educators are disciplined could — and, in one documented case, did — allow them to reoffend, according to a report released Tuesday.
The state auditor examined how Utah’s public education system sanctions educators found guilty of misconduct and handed down four findings:
• In “several cases” local education agencies — school districts and charter schools — violated state law by not reporting educator misconduct to the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission, which investigates such claims.
• The failure to report misconduct may have allowed teachers fired for misconduct to reoffend at other schools.
• School officials making hiring decisions don’t have easy access to information about past misconduct from applicants.
• Despite all that, the school board’s licensing discipline “has improved.”
