§ 6-17-410 - Teacher licensure -- First-time applicant, renewal application, revocation, suspension, and probation.
6-17-410. Teacher licensure -- First-time applicant, renewal application, revocation, suspension, and probation.
(a) (1) (A) (i) Each first-time applicant for a license issued by the State Board of Education and each applicant for his or her first license renewal on or after July 1, 1997, shall be required to apply to the Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police for a statewide and nationwide criminal records check, to be conducted by the Department of Arkansas State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(ii) The check shall conform to the applicable federal standards and shall include the taking of fingerprints.
(iii) The Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police may maintain these fingerprints in the automated fingerprint identification system.
(iv) The Federal Bureau of Investigation shall promptly destroy the fingerprint card of the applicant.
(B) The applicant shall sign a release of information to the Department of Education and shall be responsible for the payment of any fee associated with the criminal records check.
(C) (i) The Department of Education shall be responsible for the payment of any fee associated with the criminal records check at the time of license renewal for employees of Arkansas public school districts, employees of other public education institutions located in Arkansas, and employees of the Department of Education.
(ii) Funding for the fees shall come from the Public School Fund.
(2) Upon completion of the criminal records check, the Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police shall forward all releasable information obtained concerning the applicant to the Department of Education.
(3) (A) Each first-time applicant for a license issued by the State Board of Education and each applicant for his or her first license renewal on or after July 1, 1997, shall be required to request through the Department of Education a Child Maltreatment Central Registry check to be conducted by the Department of Human Services.
(B) The applicant shall sign a release of information to the Department of Education and shall be responsible for the payment of any fee associated with the Child Maltreatment Central Registry check.
(C) The Department of Human Services shall forward all releasable information concerning the applicant to the Department of Education upon completion of the Child Maltreatment Central Registry check.
(b) (1) The state board may issue a six-month nonrenewable letter of provisional eligibility for licensure to a first-time applicant pending the results of the criminal records check and the Child Maltreatment Central Registry check. However, the Commissioner of Education may extend the period of provisional eligibility to the end of that contract year if:
(A) The applicant is employed by a local school district; and
(B) The results of the criminal records check or the Child Maltreatment Central Registry check are delayed.
(2) Upon receipt of information from the Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police that the person holding a letter of provisional eligibility for licensure has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to or has been found guilty of any offense listed in subsection (c) of this section, the state board shall immediately revoke the provisional eligibility.
(3) If the Department of Education receives information from the Department of Human Services that the person holding a letter of provisional eligibility for teacher licensure has a true report in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry, the State Board of Education shall immediately revoke the provisional eligibility of the teacher licensure applicant.
(c) The state board shall not issue a first-time license nor renew an existing license and shall revoke any existing license not up for renewal of any person who has a true report in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry or has pled guilty or nolo contendere to or has been found guilty of any of the following offenses by any court in the State of Arkansas or of any similar offense by a court in another state or of any similar offense by a federal court:
(1) Capital murder as prohibited in 5-10-101;
(2) Murder in the first degree as prohibited in 5-10-102 and murder in the second degree as prohibited in 5-10-103;
(3) Manslaughter as prohibited in 5-10-104;
(4) Battery in the first degree as prohibited in 5-13-201 and battery in the second degree as prohibited in 5-13-202;
(5) Aggravated assault as prohibited in 5-13-204;
(6) Terroristic threatening in the first degree as prohibited in 5-13-301;
(7) Kidnapping as prohibited in 5-11-102;
(8) Rape as prohibited in 5-14-103;
(9) Sexual assault in the first degree, second degree, third degree, and fourth degree as prohibited in 5-14-124 -- 5-14-127;
(10) Incest as prohibited in 5-26-202;
(11) Engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for use in visual or print media, transportation of minors for prohibited sexual conduct, employing or consenting to the use of a child in a sexual performance, or producing, directing, or promoting a sexual performance by a child as prohibited in 5-27-303, 5-27-305, 5-27-402, and 5-27-403;
(12) Distribution to minors as prohibited in 5-64-406;
(13) Any felony in violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, 5-64-101 et seq.;
(14) Sexual indecency with a child as prohibited in 5-14-110;
(15) Endangering the welfare of a minor in the first degree as prohibited in 5-27-205;
(16) Pandering or possessing visual or print medium depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child as prohibited by 5-27-304;
(17) False imprisonment in the first degree as prohibited in 5-11-103;
(18) Permanent detention or restraint as prohibited in 5-11-106;
(19) Permitting abuse of a child as prohibited in 5-27-221(a);
(20) Negligent homicide as prohibited by 5-10-105(a);
(21) Assault in the first degree as prohibited by 5-13-205;
(22) Coercion as prohibited by 5-13-208;
(23) Public sexual indecency as prohibited by 5-14-111;
(24) Indecent exposure as prohibited by 5-14-112;
(25) Endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree as prohibited by 5-27-206;
(26) Criminal attempt, criminal solicitation, or criminal conspiracy as prohibited in 5-3-201, 5-3-202, 5-3-301, and 5-3-401, to commit any of the offenses listed in this subsection;
(27) Computer child pornography as prohibited in 5-27-603;
(28) Computer exploitation of a child in the first degree as prohibited in 5-27-605;
(29) Felony theft as prohibited in 5-36-103 -- 5-36-106 and 5-36-202;
(30) Robbery as prohibited by 5-12-102 and 5-12-103;
(31) Breaking or entering as prohibited by 5-39-202;
(32) Burglary as prohibited by 5-39-201 and aggravated residential burglary as prohibited by 5-39-204;
(33) Forgery as prohibited by 5-37-201; and
(34) Any felony not listed in this subsection (c) and involving physical or sexual injury, mistreatment, or abuse against another.
(d) (1) For the purposes of this subsection (d):
(A) "Cause" means any of the following:
(i) Holding a license obtained by fraudulent means;
(ii) Revocation of a license in another state;
(iii) Intentionally compromising the validity or security of any student test or testing program administered by or required by the state board or the Department of Education;
(iv) Having the completed examination test score of any testing program required by the state board for teacher licensure declared invalid by the testing program company and so reported to the Department of Education by the testing company;
(v) Having an expunged or a pardoned conviction for any sexual or physical abuse offense committed against a child or any offense in subsection (c) of this section;
(vi) Failing to establish or maintain the necessary requirements and standards set forth in Arkansas law or state board rules and regulations for teacher licensure;
(vii) Knowingly submitting or providing false or misleading information or knowingly failing to submit or provide information requested or required by law to the Department of Education, the state board, or the Division of Legislative Audit;
(viii) Knowingly falsifying or directing another to falsify any grade given to a student, whether the grade was given for an individual assignment or examination or at the conclusion of a regular grading period; or
(ix) Having a true report in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry; and
(B) "Child" means a person under twenty-one (21) years of age or enrolled in the public schools of the State of Arkansas.
(2) For cause as stated in this subsection (d), the state board is authorized to:
(A) Revoke a license permanently;
(B) Suspend a license for a terminable period of time or indefinitely; or
(C) Place a person on probationary status for a terminable period of time with the license to be revoked or suspended if the probationary period is not successfully completed.
(e) (1) Before taking an action under subsections (c) or (d) of this section, the state board shall provide a written notice of the reason for the action and shall afford the person against whom the action is being considered the opportunity to request a hearing.
(2) A written request for a hearing must be received by the state board no more than thirty (30) days after the notice of the denial, nonrenewal, or revocation of the license is received by the person who is the subject of the proposed action.
(3) Upon written notice that a revocation, suspension, or probation is being sought by the state board for a cause set forth, a person may:
(A) Decline to answer the notice, in which case a hearing shall be held before the state board to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that cause for the proposed action exists;
(B) (i) Contest the complaint and request a hearing in writing, in which case the person shall be given an evidentiary hearing before the state board if one is requested.
(ii) If the person requesting the hearing fails to appear at the hearing, the hearing shall proceed in the manner described in subdivision (e)(3)(A) of this section;
(C) Admit the allegations of fact and request a hearing before the state board in mitigation of any penalty that may be assessed; or
(D) Stipulate or reach a negotiated agreement, which must be approved by the state board.
(f) (1) The revocation provisions of subsection (c) of this section may be waived, or a license may be suspended or placed on probation by the state board upon request by:
(A) The board of directors of a local school district;
(B) An affected applicant for licensure; or
(C) The person holding a license subject to revocation.
(2) Circumstances for which a waiver may be granted shall include without limitation the following:
(A) The age at which the crime or incident was committed;
(B) The circumstances surrounding the crime or incident;
(C) The length of time since the crime or incident;
(D) Subsequent work history;
(E) Employment references;
(F) Character references; and
(G) Other evidence demonstrating that the applicant does not pose a threat to the health or safety of school children or school personnel.
(g) (1) The superintendent of each school district shall report to the state board the name of any person holding a license issued by the state board and currently employed or employed during the two (2) previous school years by the local school district who:
(A) Has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to or has been found guilty of a felony or any misdemeanor listed in subsection (c) of this section;
(B) Holds a license obtained by fraudulent means;
(C) Has had a similar license revoked in another state;
(D) Has intentionally compromised the validity or security of any student test or testing program administered or required by the Department of Education;
(E) Has knowingly submitted falsified information or failed to submit information requested or required by law to the Department of Education, the state board, or the division;
(F) Has failed to establish or maintain the necessary requirements and standards set forth in Arkansas law or Department of Education rules for teacher licensure; or
(G) Has a true report in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry.
(2) Failure of a superintendent to report information as required by this subsection may result in sanctions imposed by the state board.
(h) (1) Any information received by the Department of Education from the Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police or the Department of Human Services pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall not be available for examination except by the affected applicant for licensure or his or her duly authorized representative, and no record, file, or document shall be removed from the custody of the Department of Education.
(2) Any information made available to the affected applicant for licensure or the person whose license is subject to revocation shall be information pertaining to that applicant only.
(3) Rights of privilege and confidentiality established under this section shall not extend to any document created for purposes other than this background check.
(i) The state board shall adopt the necessary rules to fully implement the provisions of this section.