Why Educators Should Be Prepared for Background Checks
It is an unfortunate fact of life that some people misrepresent themselves, their education, and their professional qualifications. Like Leonardo diCaprio’s character in the movie “Catch Me If You Can” there are some people who delight in the challenge of posing as qualified professionals in a variety of industries. However some people will falsify their background information out of desperation, if they feel the only way they can provide for their families is to take on jobs they really should not be hired for.
Regardless of the motives and methods of people who provide false credentials on job applications, it is everyone else who suffers the consequences of resume stuffing and job posing. Fraudulent applicants may incur unexpected expenses and drive up insurance costs for many businesses. Or, worse, they may endanger lives by acting irresponsibly. Some people are on record as having posed as doctors and nurses for months or years, practicing medicine on real patients without any qualifications or licenses whatsoever.
To one degree or another the field of education has also had its share of fraudulent teachers and professors. These people may seek jobs at all levels of education, from elementary schools to universities. Sometimes they arrive in their positions almost by accident, swept along by the momentum of urgent need on both sides of the negotiation table. Nonetheless because of these kinds of cases many industries now require careful background screenings of job candidates to reduce the chance of hiring unqualified personnel.
In many school systems background checks on teachers have become standard practice. You should learn more about what is involved in your background check because, among other risks, someone may have stolen your identity and caused all sorts of trouble in your name. The sooner you know you will pass a background check with flying colors, the better.
