Jul 27, 2024 2 min read

“We make our own criminals, and their crimes are consistent with the national culture we all share. It has been said that people get the kind of political leadership they deserve. I think they also get the kinds of crimes and criminals they create.”

These are quotes from Margaret Mead, one of the world’s most renowned anthropologists. I learned about Mead in an anthropology class at California University of Pennsylvania in the 1970s. Mead stated that criminals and those on the fringe of society sometimes know more than the leaders of a society or culture. I know this to be true in Pennsylvania public schools because of the child abuse and criminal record check clearance process.

Pennsylvania licensed child care requires four clearances for people supervising children. Pennsylvania public schools only require three clearances. The one clearance not required by the public schools is the National Sex Offender Registry letter. This clearance is free and easily obtained online or by mail.

What clearances are required in your school district? The answers should be readily available on school websites, for anyone who wants to know about clearances, including the offenders. In fact, just ask your school solicitor, legislators, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and local school district, to see if they know or care about these clearances.

There are no good reasons why this clearance letter should not be required by Pennsylvania public schools.

Dennis Smiddle

Canonsburg