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Teacher misconduct in Texas is a growing problem that doesn’t discriminate by the size of a school district, according to data obtained by Patch from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for the 2017-2018 school year. Whether your student is enrolled in one of Texas’ largest school districts, like Dallas ISD with more than 157,000 students, or a smaller one, like Pflugerville ISD with 24,000, teachers will misbehave at a similar rate. This analysis builds on reports that improper student-teacher relationships in Texas have grown steadily over the past decade.
Dallas ISD had the most investigations opened into teacher misconduct with 12, according to Patch’s analysis. That was followed by both San Antonio’s Northside ISD and Houston ISD with nine investigations conducted, Leander ISD with seven, and Plano ISD with six.
The TEA publishes the names of teachers investigated each year but does not disclose specifics about each case. According to 19 Tex. Admin. Code (TAC) § 249.3, teacher misconduct is broadly defined as “mental or emotional injury to a student or minor that results in an observable and material impairment in the student’s or minor’s development, learning, or psychological functioning” and “sexual conduct harmful to a student’s or minor’s mental, emotional, or physical welfare.” Read the full definition of misconduct here.
The following is a breakdown of the 10 Texas districts with the most investigations into teacher misconduct in 2017-2018:
Dallas ISD: 12 investigations (has roughly 158,000 students according to Niche)
Northside ISD: 9 (105,000)
Houston ISD: 9 (215,000)
Leander ISD: 7 (37,000)
Plano ISD: 6 (54,000)
Killeen ISD: 6 (43,000)
Irving ISD: 6 (34,000)
Arlington ISD: 6 (63,000)
Pflugerville ISD: 5 (24,000)
Keller ISD: 5 (34,000)
All these districts were given an opportunity to comment on Patch’s findings. Two districts, Houston and Plano ISD, declined to comment, while Dallas, Arlington, and Pflugerville ISD did not respond. Northside, Leander, Killeen, Irving, and Keller ISD all provided statements that are included in their entirety at the end of this story. Most of the comments were in the same vein as Leander ISD’s.
“Leander ISD believes a safe and secure learning environment is essential to a high-quality school. We are blessed to have the best teachers in Texas. One incident of misconduct by a teacher is one too many. The district investigates every claim of misconduct and takes prompt action when it occurs,” the district told Patch.
The reason why large and small school districts have experienced a similar number of investigations can also explain why Texas has seen a steady rise in teacher misconduct the past 10 years: There’s more awareness, more bystander training, and more understanding of what constitutes abuse in schools, said Charol Shakeshaft, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who has studied teacher misconduct for more than 25 years. While the Texas figures may be shocking, they aren’t aberrant, Shakeshaft told Patch.
“All states are seeing increases in hearings and investigations at state certification offices,” Shakeshaft said. “I believe this is primarily because there is more awareness of this as a problem, there are more reports than there used to be, not necessarily because there is more abuse, but, rather, because people are taking notice and reporting.”
The Jekyll and Hyde of teacher misconduct has been technology. The internet and computers streamlined the reporting process while social media and text messaging have become clandestine gateways to inappropriate behavior. Since January this year, Palestine ISD, Katy ISD, and Coppell ISD are among numerous Texas school districts with staff that have allegedly engaged students inappropriately through technology.
“Changes in technology have made it easier for abuse to go undetected. Many abusers now buy burner phones for their targets as well as using platforms for which it is hard to save or trace contact,” Shakeshaft said. “But, even with these technological refinements, the grooming process is still largely one that, if you understand what is going on, can be interrupted and detected. I don’t think technology has increased the number of abusers. It has allowed them other ways to get in touch with students, substituting what they would have done if there was no technology with technology.”
The TEA division that handles teacher misconduct consists of 23 staff members who, under 19 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 249, are responsible for facilitating the fingerprinting process for school district employees, reviewing reports of misconduct, and conducting investigations into allegations, the organization told Patch. Most TEA investigations begin with superintendent reports of misconduct and criminal history notifications received through the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Clearinghouse. This clearinghouse is a repository of FBI fingerprint-based criminal history results along with those from DPS.
After reviewing the details of a complaint, the TEA determines whether to open an investigation. If an investigation is opened, the division places a warning on the educator’s virtual certificate, which may be viewed publicly online. If law enforcement brings charges against an educator, TEA suspends investigations until the criminal matter has been completed. If there are no criminal proceedings, the TEA will proceed with an investigation into allegations of misconduct. These investigations involve gathering additional evidence, contacting all parties involved (including victims, witnesses, and agencies), and offering the educator a chance to respond to allegations in person, the TEA said.
A school district can suspend an educator while they conduct an in-district investigation but the district cannot take action against a teacher’s certification, the TEA said. That decision is only made at the state level as TEA has the authority to issue state certifications. Sanctions can range anywhere from a reprimand to permanent revocation of the teacher’s certification, the TEA said.
Of the districts listed above, 16 teachers in 2017-2018 voluntarily surrendered to the TEA, which means they decided to permanently relinquish their teaching certificate in lieu of disciplinary proceedings, according to Patch’s analysis. Leander and Keller ISD were tied for the most voluntary surrenders with three each.
The following is a breakdown of TEA investigation outcomes in all 10 districts listed above:
Suspensions: 6
Voluntary surrender of teaching certificate: 16
Reprimand: 10
Pending: 13
Administrative closure: 24
Teaching certification expired/non-jurisdiction: 2
Two of the most important things parents can do to prevent teacher misconduct is to hold school districts accountable when it comes to training and talking to their children, Shakeshaft said.
“Demand that schools train adults and students in grooming and bystander expectations. Teach them what to see. Students often believe that if a teacher does it, and no one intervenes, it must be OK. Unless they are trained otherwise, students believe that it’s OK if a teacher ‘dates’ a student,” Shakeshaft said. “Teach, teach, teach. Make sure the district has a code of conduct.”
Shakeshaft co-authored a 2018 journal article called “A Standard of Care for the Prevention of Sexual Misconduct by School Employees.” The article provides a baseline all school districts should follow in attempting to prevent adult to student sexual abuse in schools. Learn more about how the TEA handles misconduct investigations here. If you have information regarding teacher misconduct in your school, please contact Fernando Alfonso at [email protected].
Comments from districts regarding Patch’s findings:
Northside ISD: “Northside ISD, the fourth largest school district in Texas, has approximately 14,000 full-time employees. We are committed to holding our staff to the highest standards. We act swiftly with any allegation of illegal or improper behavior by conducting thorough investigations. Likewise, we comply with all state reporting requirements. The TEA may choose, based on their established criteria, to open their own investigation of an individual. It is important to note that an investigation in and of itself does not always mean illegal or improper behavior has occurred. Northside ISD will continue to ensure that the safety and well-being of our students remains our top priority.”
Leander ISD: “Leander ISD believes a safe and secure learning environment is essential to a high-quality school. We are blessed to have the best teachers in Texas. One incident of misconduct by a teacher is one too many. The district investigates every claim of misconduct and takes prompt action when it occurs. We support robust systems to encourage reporting, including an anonymous options through text messaging, email and a mobile app. LISD recently hired two recruiting coordinators to be more proactive in vetting applicants. In addition, the district recently began hosting a job fair, giving us an early and additional opportunity to screen potential new hires. All employees undergo annual compliance training. We conduct background checks on employees before hiring. We are committed to continue meeting the reporting requirements with the State Board of Education and the Texas Education Agency (TEA).”
Irving ISD: “The safety of our students and staff is the district’s top priority, and we take all necessary steps to ensure we provide a positive and nurturing learning environment. As a school district, we have an obligation to promptly notify the Texas Education Agency (TEA) of educator misconduct allegations in accordance with their guidelines. From there, TEA decides which allegations to further investigate and the actions taken as a result of their investigation. We cannot provide additional comments on the investigation process led by TEA. Irving ISD employs more than 4,900 dedicated educators, and we expect all staff to adhere to the highest ethical practices and conduct.”
Killeen ISD: “Killeen ISD follows the reporting requirements from the Texas Education Agency regarding allegations of employee misconduct. In an abundance of caution, we report anything to the TEA we feel the agency should know about in this regard.”
Keller ISD: “Employee confidentiality is of the utmost importance, and as such, we unequivocally refrain from discussing personnel matters.”
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