When doctors lose their privilege to practice, the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine discloses details of the reasons why. When lawyers are reprimanded, the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar makes it public.

When teachers have their certificates revoked or suspended, the Department of Education would report this status to a national accrediting agency, without further details, according to a proposal now before lawmakers.

At best, this is professional inequity. At worst, this protects teachers who betrayed their position as educators. As a profession entrusted with guiding children, teachers should have their conduct open to the broadest scrutiny.

In an investigation by The Associated Press last fall, Maine was found to have the country’s weakest disclosure laws for teacher certificate revocations and suspensions. Now, when teacher certifications are taken or suspended, there is no mechanism for disclosing this information to anyone.

Gov. John Baldacci has submitted a bill, LD 2291, to remedy this inequity. It would require Maine report the certificate status of teachers to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, once a certification is removed or surrendered.

This represents progress, but lawmakers can go further. In its report, AP highlighted how states hold teachers accountable for misbehavior, in light of numerous national cases of sexual abuse of students by teachers.

Maine has its examples. Last year, a respected Monmouth teacher was convicted for having an illicit affair with an underage student. Later, his teaching certification was predictably revoked by the Department of Education.

Under current law, the department could not cite his conviction as cause, or even that his certificate was revoked. The latter, but not the former, would change under LD 2291. The department would report the certification status to the accrediting agency, but the important information – why – would still be unknown.

During a public hearing last week, the bill received no opposition. Yet the Maine Senate did an interesting thing: The body accepted the report of a small minority – Sen. Peter Mills – by a remarkable 22-11 vote.

Mills would open revocation and suspension records, and empower the department to release statistical information regarding their enforcement actions. It is a stronger provision than the submitted bill, and merits support.

We think it still could go further, and should identify teachers who had their certificates suspended or revoked for misconduct by name.

Given the great responsibility given to teachers, they should be held to high levels of accountability. Maine expects other important, licensed professionals to meet lofty thresholds, and teachers deserve equitable treatment.

It’s fair to disclose that a teacher cannot teach. But it’s right to disclose the reasons why.