To maintain or gain employment as an educator, prospective teachers and existing teachers may have some difficulty with DWI or DUI convictions on their record. The jurisdiction of the teacher/potential teacher and the severity of the DUI can have an influence on the answer as to whether or not a DUI conviction affects your chances of becoming a teacher/remaining a teacher.
Prior to being offered a teaching position, background checks are done concerning new teachers. If the person has a DUI offense conviction, the employer will be informed. Potentially, a teaching position may be denied by a school board or school as a result of this type of information.
New Teachers and DUI Convictions
A potential new teacher may be denied employment by a school due to a drunk driving conviction. On any applicant, a background check is run by employers when a teaching position is applied for. The criminal history/criminal record of a potential teacher will be disclosed to the school during a background check. Including DUI convictions, this includes any criminal offense convictions that apply to the potential teacher.
Any type of employment may be denied by a school because of a DUI conviction. But why? Because of the DUI charge, the school may question a teacher’s:
- Credentials
- Health and safety
- Capability to serve as a role model and leader to students
- Reliability
As an example, a person may not be denied employment if they had an extremely low BAC (blood alcohol content) and it was their first DUI offense. On the other hand, a teaching position may not be offered to someone if, while the DUI arrest was being made, they assaulted a police officer, appeared highly intoxicated, miserably failed a sobriety test, etc.
Here’s the Bottom Line…
The question of whether or not, with a DUI, you can be a teacher in California is a tricky one. From remaining a teacher or from becoming a teacher, a DUI conviction may not necessarily preclude people. But private schools and school districts check backgrounds carefully and may factor a DUI record in when considering whether to impose disciplinary action on someone who is already a teacher or to offer a position.
What’s more, the California Commission on Teaching Credentialing (CTC) must be notified if a California teacher is convicted of DUI. This must happen when the person in question either:
- Seeks to renew a credential, or
- Applies for a teaching credential
The CTC will review the case facts when a DUI conviction is reported by a teacher. Whether or not the person is still qualified to serve as an educator will then be determined. In addition to possibly losing their credentials, additional consequences may be faced by a California teacher who gets a DUI.
Do You Need to Take a Class as a Result of a DUI Charge?
At Jackson Bibby Awareness Group, we will introduce you to the negative effects of driving under the influence where your family, the community, and you as an individual, are concerned. So you can show a prospective employer that you’re attempting self-improvement, we’ll ensure compliance by collaborating with both the courts and the DMV.
You can count on The Jackson Bibby Awareness Group to supply you with counseling, mentoring, and classes, whether you are a multiple DUI offender or a first-time DUI offender. We have been looking after the needs of the community and our clients since 1981.
Contact our Victorville office at 760-241-3300, our Barstow office at 760-256-6114, or our Redlands office at 909-792-6925.
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