Winning additional funding, however, could be an uphill battle. Unfortunately, we've got about 30 or 40 agencies in Texas that oversee various professions, from architects to podiatrists, and virtually every one of them says they don't have enough staff to investigate or prosecute. Arlington school trustee Sherri Wade, a past president of the Arlington Council of PTAs, pointed out that some professionals, such as certified public accountants, face tougher requirements than teachers. Teachers are working with our children. I think it's important not to cross personal boundaries, but when it comes to our children, you can't be too safe.
Critics say the board's policies are to blame for the backlog.
Board rules, for example, set timelines for handling ethics cases but not criminal violations. When you have a case dealing with a child molester or a murderer, that should go to the top of the list. State rules are vague on when a certificate should be revoked, saying only that a teacher should not commit an act of moral turpitude. Revocation isn't automatic after a felony conviction, but neither is a conviction necessary for a certificate to be revoked. If a decision is made to revoke credentials and the teacher does not surrender the certificate, the case is transferred to an administrative law judge at the State Office for Administrative Hearings.