Criminal history may not be barrier to certification

A woman applied for a teaching certificate. Her application was denied based on prior misconduct and a review of her criminal history.She appealed that denial. Her criminal history reflected that in 2002, when she was 18 years old, she used heroin and cocaine at a party where a man died from a drug overdose. She was indicted for criminally negligent homicide as a result of that incident, and subsequently pled guilty to a lesser offense of assault. The following year, in 2003, her ex-husband died of a drug overdose.

In 2004, she enrolled in college, attended three semesters, and earned a 3.67 GPA. She also entered rehab and completed both an in-patient program and aftercare. She decided that she wanted to become a teacher while working at a preschool. She received passing grades for student teaching and made the honor roll in the fall 2008 semester. She received a bachelor of science degree in May of 2009.

The administrative law judge ruled that she should receive a teaching certificate. The applicant had stopped taking drugs and had been sober since 2006. She never tested positive for drugs while on probation for the assault charge or in rehab and was able to show that she was highly regarded as a student teacher by her former supervisors and colleagues for her work ethic and compassion. She was found to possess good moral character and be worthy to instruct the students of the state.