Employment Requirements

Nepotism/Conflicts of Interest
Criminal Background Checks
Credentials and Certification
Hiring Practices

Nepotism/Conflicts of Interest

TASB Resources

• TASB Legal Services' FAQs:
  • Nepotism Chart (pdf)
  • Conflicts of Interest: Nepotism (pdf)
• TASB Store:
  • School Official's Quick Guide to Nepotism and other Conflicts of Interest
  • Nepotism Issues for School Officials
• For information on conflict disclosures for district employees, see eSource at Governance – Conflicts of Interest.

Other Resources

• Texas Education Agency's (TEA) General Inquiry—School Board FAQ website addresses questions related to nepotism and conflicts of interest.

Criminal Background Checks

TASB Resources

• TASB Legal Services' FAQs:
  • Frequently Asked Questions about EEOC Guidance on Consideration of Criminal History (pdf)
  • Criminal History Reviews of Contractor Employees After FBI Audit (pdf)
  • Criminal History Reviews of District Employees and Volunteers (pdf)
• The TASB HR Library, available behind myTASB for members of HR Services, collects information and resources on criminal background checks and other employment screening under the heading Recruiting and Hiring.

Other Resources

• Texas Education Agency's (TEA) Fingerprinting for Texas Educators and School District Personnel website includes information about the state fingerprinting requirements for certified and non-certified personnel.
• TEA's Fingerprinting: Requirements for School District Contractors website includes information regarding the school contractor criminal history and fingerprinting requirments
• TEA's Superintendent Reporting Requirements website answers questions about the state requirement that superintendents report criminal history information about certificate applicants and holders.
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Enforcement Guidance on Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides guidance regarding the use of arrest or conviction records in employment decisions under Title VII..
• The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Crime Records Service website includes links to searchable criminal conviction and sex offender databases containing information made available to the public.

Credentials and Certification

TASB Resources

• The TASB HR Library, available behind myTASB for members of HR Services, offers information on educator assignments under the heading Contracts and Assignments. The HR Library also offers information about posting vacancies and screening applicants under the heading Recruiting and Hiring.
• For information on school marshals and other school district personnel carrying firearms, see eSource at Business – Safety and Emergency Management.

Other Resources

• Texas Education Agency's (TEA) Educator Certification website describes the state certification requirements, testing details, and related reports.
• The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) rules at 19 Texas Administrative Code chapter 231 detail the certification requirements for assignment of personnel.
• TEA's Certificate Lookup website provides a searchable database of educator certificates and endorsements.

Hiring Practices

TASB Resources

• TASB Legal Services' resources:
  • Sample Pre-Employment Affidavit for Applicant (No Notarization) (pdf)
  • Sample Pre-Employment Affidavit for Applicant (Notarization) (pdf)
  • Sample Pre-Employment Affidavit for Applicant (Online Notarization) (pdf)
  • Frequently Asked Questions About Required Pre-Employment Affidavits (pdf)
  • Obtaining Credit Checks on Applicants and Employees (pdf)
• The TASB HR Library, available behind myTASB for members of HR Services, offers information on hiring, screening applicants, performing reference checks, conducting interviews, responding to applicants, checklists on the hiring process and new hires, information on new employee orientation, retire/rehire, and immigration.
• Also available behind myTASB for members of HR Services are model job descriptions.

Other Resources

• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Enforcement Guidance Disability-Related Inquiries and Medical Examinations of Employees under the Americans with Disabilities Act provides guidance regarding when it is permissible for employers to make disability-related inquiries or require medical examinations of employees.
• The EEOC’s Employment Tests and Selection Procedures provides guidance on issues relating to the federal anti-discrimination laws and the use of tests and other selection procedures in the employment process.