Senate Bill #545 Requires Comprehensive Criminal Background Checks and child abuse clearances for all school district personnel and independent contractors. EVERYONE. The people who have repeated daily access to the children of Pennsylvania . Your child's/grandchild's teacher, bus driver, principal or the contractor's working in the school. Right now in Pennsylvania it is only a requirement for prospective employees to have a criminal background check. After the employment process the clearance is filed away never to be repeated, if a person remains in the same district. Additionally, if a long term employee has been with a district prior to 1985 they have NEVER been subject to criminal background check EVER! Senate Bill 545 addresses this gaping loophole and closes it.

We have laws on the books right now that intend to protect our children, but do they? If a person has been convicted of a serious crime including crimes against children and it has been a mere 5 years since their CONVICTION they are once again welcome to work in your child's school. They can drive your child's bus or otherwise be employed in a school district to have repeated daily access to the children of Pennsylvania.  Even a crime against a child? SB 545 slams shut the doors of Pennsylvania 's schools to persons convicted of serious crimes.

Any person who has shown a propensity for serious crimes including crimes against children should be not be employed in a school setting. Let's not facilitate a crime against a child. Let's do everything in our power to stop a crime BEFORE it occurs. The time is now to act and get SB 545 passed and on the books. Our children deserve a future, their education is their right!! Let's give them a safe way to get there.

Read our latest letter to all the Senators of the Pennsylvania Education Committee