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Kansas Board To Revise Teacher Licensing Rules

The State Board of Education has voted to require all Kansas teachers renewing their licenses to submit fingerprints for checks against a state criminal database.

Tuesday's 9-1 vote came during a discussion of how to strengthen a law requiring prosecutors to notify the state about criminal convictions of people seeking or renewing teaching licenses.

Kansas has been fingerprinting applicants for new teaching licenses since 2002. The new policy would extend the requirement to teachers renewing licenses every five years.

State law bars the board from issuing licenses to anyone convicted of sex crimes, child abuse, murder or certain other offenses.

Prosecutors are required to report all felony convictions to the Department of Education so it can check them against employment rosters. But there are no penalties for not complying.