Educators who scam the system with phony credentials demean their profession and steal from students and taxpayers.

A bill that barely received a glance in the Legislature would have made a difference. Senate Bill 5634 directed the superintendent of public instruction to verify credits earned by teachers, educational staff and administrators to increase their earnings. The legislation ought to be revisited before lawmakers go home.

Catching cheaters is part of properly recognizing and rewarding those who do the work for advanced degrees and continuing education.

Academic credentials and career training are tied to the statewide salary ladder. Right now, résumé checks and record-keeping fall to personnel departments great and small in the 296 school districts across the state.

Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, is appropriately miffed he never heard from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Washington Education Association before his bill got short shrift in the Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education.

Language in the bill might need fine-tuning, which the senator says he is open to, but the fundamental intent to centralize the screening of all salary-related degrees and training issues is a good one.

Indeed, the Legislature ought to look at an idea studied three years ago: a centralized repository of credentialed staff records.

The volume of paperwork, the need for redundant record-keeping as an educator moves from district to district, worries about financial liability from inaccurate records, and previous employment verification were compelling reasons for a centralized system that uses common forms and procedures.

Another argument for centralization is more trained eyes ferreting out degrees from diploma mills around the planet. The American Council on Education publishes a volume of education-accreditation agencies around the world. Some might be in great vacation spots but only a handful are accepted by Washington.

In 2002, the estimated cost of centralization was $763,000, and $439,000 thereafter. Savings exist, as well as the option of modest fees to defray costs.

Scammers who fraudulently move up the pay scale already cost money. Their numbers might not be great but they are an affront to honest professionals and a burden on taxpayers.

Take a close look at legislation that tracks them down.