- New Jersey legislators have proposed a bill that would require contracted school vendors and their employees to undergo the same background checks (including criminal records) that staff and educators employed directly though the school must go through.
- The move toward more thorough checks is informed by the fact that many contractors can access personal student data.
- Specifically, the legislation is said to be in response to Pearson’s decision to hire Caveon Test Security to monitor student social media accounts after the PARCC exam.
Typically the cost of the check is absorbed by the hire and not by the school district, so this move does not require extra public funds. Given how many people are coming into contact with student data, it makes sense to know as much about contracted vendors as possible. Though not the case with Caveon, contracted vendors can be integrated in a school’s day-to-day and have face time with students, making background checks all the more valuable.
Read Full Article Here: http://www.educationdive.com/news/new-jersey-considers-stricter-background-checks-for-school-contractors/386454/
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Associated Press by way of My Fox NY : Lawmakers seek stricter checks on education contractors