Every parent should be interested in having the best quality teachers for their school.

In a recent PDK/Gallup poll, more than 80 percent of those surveyed believe that teachers should be board certified beyond their state-issued license, much like doctors and other professions.The poll also found that more than 70 percent believe that teachers should spend at least one year practicing under the supervision of a board certified teacher. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said a "very important" reason for teacher evaluations was to help teachers improve how they do their jobs.Pennsylvania lawmakers recently passed legislation requiring teachers and other school employees to undergo more rigorous background checks before offering jobs to anyone who has direct contact with students. It is designed to help prevent school districts from hiding information on suspected abuse or misconduct by employing civil penalties for providing false information. It would also prohibit districts from agreeing to expunge or suppress information about an investigation into abuse or sexual misconduct.The number of educators accused of misconduct - from helping students cheat to sexually abusing students - has escalated. From 2008 through 2011 the state department of education averaged 250 annual complaints but in 2012, it soared to 563. Officials attributed some of the increase to the Jerry Sandusky case, which raised awareness of teacher misconduct.The governor's new budget proposed adding three staff members to the educator discipline division, and two staff members to the Professional Standards and Practices Commission, which hears the cases.State law spells out certain crimes in which a conviction means a teacher will automatically lose his license such as homicide, rape or theft. In the non-criminal realm, the cases may involve inappropriate behavior, such as a teacher viewing pornography in the classroom.Two years ago, Timothy Moll, a former Dieruff High School math teacher who offered a student extra credit for sending him nude pictures, was charged with corruption of a minor and unlawful contact with a minor and sentenced in a plea hearing to at least six months in prison. Moll testified that he finally found a job, even though he said he had lost his teaching certificate.A more rigorous background policy would have raised red flags and made it harder for someone like Moll to slip by during the hiring process.By Jim Zbickeditor@tnonline.com