Bad Apples for Teacher

New York City's decision last fall to fingerprint prospective teachers brought a yelp of "undignified" from the city's Teachers Union. Last week the city's chief teacher examiner called it "extremely helpful." Of 4,545 applicants, said Dr. Isidore Bogen, 134 proved to have police records, including several convicted sex offenders and one murder suspect. Many offenses were minor, but by failing to mention them in applications, the prospective teachers convicted themselves of lying.

Two days after Bogen's report, police arrested an English teacher for burglary and attempted rape, found that his record carried two Peeping Tom convictions. So what about those who, like him, got in before fingerprinting? Bogen has decided to fingerprint them when they take tests for promotion. If the police-record rate of the applicants applies to practicing teachers too. 3% of the city's teachers are in for trouble.

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