Woman who inspired Georgia educator background check law arrested in Florida

signed a new background screening law that requires all school employees — public and private — to undergo nationwide fingerprint background checks. Before the law was passed, school administrators in the state were required to submit to state and federal background checks, while other employees were only required to pass state background checks. The new law was prompted by the actions of former Progressive Christian Academy operator Christina Perera, a convicted felon that ran the school until her criminal history was discovered back in 2012. She had previously also run other day care centers before being convicted of fraud, theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and other charges, and operated the facilities under several different names, addresses and identities. Undercover detectives finally arrested Perera for parole violation in August when she was found to be working under a false name at Daniel’s Academy, a daycare center in Fort Myers, Fla. More than 20 children had been attending the center. Daniel’s Academy will be closed for a minimum of 90 days while it remains under investigation by the Florida Department of Children & Families. Investigators have already found that the facility lacked documentation about employees, did not have a license, and employed individuals who had not been subject to background checks, among other problems. Under the new Georgia law, problems like these can be avoided in the future by ensuring all educators are subject to screening. Hopefully other states will follow suit, continuing to work on background screening laws that protect children.]]>