Judy Wild

Hopefully , ESU prepares students to teach anywhere they go , said Judy Wild , ESU's teacher certification officer at ESU.

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"The fingerprint cards will be used as part of a background check conducted by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) on each applicant for certification in the state of Kansas," said Judy Wild, teacher certification officer for The Teachers College."If an applicant has been convicted of a felony, or has had legal problems involving children, the KBI will report this to the [Kansas Department of Education].

"KSDE will then have to decide whether to grant or deny certification."While this is a new policy in Kansas, many states in the country also have this requirement."Kansas was one of the few states who didn't require this," Wild said."Missouri and Colorado both have for years."

This additional step will cause the state certification process to take longer than before. "My understanding is that the background check can take anywhere from six to eight weeks," Wild said."We recommend that undergraduates have their fingerprints cleared before they submit their initial certification paperwork."During their Phase II/student teaching semester, students will receive the fingerprint cards from the office of professional education services (OPES). Emporia State students have several places to choose from to have their fingerprinting done.One option is through the OPES.

"We have two campus police officers who have agreed to do fingerprinting for us," Wild said."We have students sign up and the officers do the fingerprinting in The Teachers College student lounge."There is a $5 charge for the fingerprinting at The Teachers College.