Laudable Steps For Safer Schools

All that is good and right about the teaching profession is evident in the relationship between Lewis and Clark High School teacher Amy Kim and student Teresa Brooks.

Brooks, a 15-year-old Spokane girl, was on the verge of “checking out” when Kim took an interest in her education and motivated the teenager. Kim was helpful, yet tough. She was critical, yet encouraging. She was interested, yet made it clear to Brooks that the hard work was Brooks’ alone.

With an inner strength uncommon among kids, Brooks succeeded. She now is a track star, budding student and employee at Seafirst Bank, in large part because of the influence and attention of a caring teacher.

Amy Kim touched her student in the best possible way.

That uplifting story shared Monday’s news pages with an article detailing the struggle of Coeur d’Alene teachers who are dealing with accusations that a teacher and coach touched several girls in the worst possible way.

Cases like that send teachers into a spiral of self-doubt. How can I reach kids? What sort of touch is permissible? What will happen to me if I reach out to comfort and it’s misunderstood as sinister?

The state of Idaho and Coeur d’Alene’s teachers union are stepping up with some answers.

The union vows to hold training this fall for teachers who are wondering what constitutes a good touch, what constitutes a bad touch. The state is embarking on an ambitious program to fingerprint all people who apply for an Idaho teaching certificate. Fingerprinting already is a requirement in Washington, Oregon and California.

Both actions are laudable - and past due.

While it may seem intrusive, fingerprinting is a critical step toward weeding out possible predators of youth. As a Washington education official pointed out, the system won’t catch as many molesters as it will deter from even applying. Idaho is smart to start the program. Montana, the only state in the West that doesn’t fingerprint teaching applicants, would be wise to implement it, too.

Fingerprinting will help ferret out molesters, but what about those teachers whose well-meaning gestures simply are misconstrued?

That’s where training of teachers is pivotal. The overwhelming majority of teachers are not in the classroom to molest children, but the best teachers are warm, dynamic personalities. They might be huggers. They need guidelines on what is appropriate, what isn’t. An education program would provide just that.

All of the region’s school districts should follow Coeur d’Alene’s lead in providing such training. To do so would guarantee more results like those of Amy Kim and Teresa Brooks - and fewer that result in shattered lives.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Anne Windishar/For the editorial board