Ironic situation

[Deltadeliquent]

I am in a teacher training course at a well regarded university in my diocese.
As part of the program I am to spend 13 weeks doing student teaching at a local school. I am to start next week.

My advisor has spent a lot of time trying to get me into a Catholic school for this practicum.
Catholic schools are on the list of possible places to do this part of the course.

However, I have been refused a place at all the Catholic High schools in the area.
The reason?
They will only accept student teachers from another university in the area. A private Baptist one. ( one that costs a lot more than my school.)

I find it incredibly ironic that I, a faithful, conservative Catholic am not Protestant enough to work at a Catholic school. I am being passed over in favor of someone who, by default, does not agree with nor believe Catholic doctrine, whilst I do.

What say you?

I’ve already written the Archbishop, but I’m not sure there’s enough time for him to do anything even were he willing.

 

[Deltadeliquent]

Maybe this post isn’t in the right place?

 

[PaulineMargaret]

This sounds rather shocking.
Is it something that can be reported to the Bishop of the diocese.
Is this Catholic school more concerned about secular reputation that the faith of Catholic children?
May God protect the Catholic faith of the children at the school.
May God help to resolve this situation in the best interests of Catholic families.

Best wishes, and God bless you,
Pauline

 

[YADA]

I think your post leaves too many unknown details … You are not earning an education degree related to your Catholic faith - correct? Nor one related to Christianity - in any faith tradition? And not required to have any Christian focused courses … requirements that many private colleges can require.

Thus it seems - You are a Catholic - however, one who is attending a public college earning a secular related teaching degree - correct? -does this degree include any specifically religious education - even if in a secular major - English, Mathematics, Social Studies … something like that… ?

And it also seems your diocese has an agreement that it accepts educational students in its schools from the local private college - which just happens to be Baptist - but it is a private religious institution of higher learning that confers many majors of study but probably requires religious studies as well. I know several Catholic institutions I am ware of - unlike public colleges - require all their students - regardless of major to take some faith courses … I assume the same is true of our non-Catholic Christian institutions of higher learning …

Student teaching opportunities are highly sought after and students from religiously affiliated schools have a hard time obtaining positions … I would guess that - this agreement between the diocese and the college requires that their students have a higher priority and the diocese requires that they support the religious aspects of the catholic school to which they are assigned … something the diocese may not require of students from a secular institution … thus your “Being” Catholic is not really a factor in the equation …

My daughter attended a local Catholic College in their education department - and had to work in classrooms as a requirement of her elementary education degree - so I do e experience in the scarcity of positions, desirable assignments and less desirable ones … and the angst involved in the search …

 

[EasterJoy]

It may be that the Baptist school is a lot more proactive about setting up these internships far in advance, effectively taking all the available slots before your school even starts asking. The high schools may feel they have a known quantity with the Baptist schools. You may still get a slot to open for you if you can turn up someone who knows someone directly, because private schools run heavily on personal relationships. Do you know anyone active in the alumni association at any of these schools? Anyone on any of the faculties or in the administrative office? I don’t mean someone who knows your advisor. I mean someone who knows you.

It is a little late to get in for next week, but if your pastor knows you, it would not hurt to ask him if he could put in a word for you. Otherwise, I would call the superintendent of Catholic schools for the diocese, rather than the Archbishop, and explain that I particularly want to do my student teaching at a Catholic school. I would think that is the place to start asking about how I might go about getting my foot in the door of a local Catholic high school.

 

[1ke]

I am in a teacher training course at a well regarded university in my diocese.
As part of the program I am to spend 13 weeks doing student teaching at a local school. I am to start next week.

My advisor has spent a lot of time trying to get me into a Catholic school for this practicum.
Catholic schools are on the list of possible places to do this part of the course.

Aren’t Catholic schools in Canada run by the state?

However, I have been refused a place at all the Catholic High schools in the area.
The reason?
They will only accept student teachers from another university in the area. A private Baptist one. ( one that costs a lot more than my school.)

When I did student teaching, these things were selected WAY in advance. Like a year in advance. Perhaps the Baptist school already had all the slots taken because they started early and regularly place a certain number of people at that school.

I find it incredibly ironic that I, a faithful, conservative Catholic am not Protestant enough to work at a Catholic school. I am being passed over in favor of someone who, by default, does not agree with nor believe Catholic doctrine, whilst I do.

This is all simply assumptions. You are running on emotion, not facts.

it is more likely you were not *early *enough in securing a spot. It probably has nothing to do with your religion. These are not religious education teaching positions, right? They are math or English or whatever.

What say you?

I think you are overreacting and making assumptions without knowing any facts. Student teach where you are placed and apply to Catholic schools for positions if that is what you want to do.

 

[Xantippe]

Yeah, it does seem like more of a logistics and bureaucratic issue than a faith issue. Presumably the Catholic high school has existing relationships with the Baptist teacher training program.

That doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have a shot at an actual job at the Catholic high school, though, especially if your qualifications are very good.

 

[Deltadeliquent]

Yes, these things are meant to be set up further I. Advance. My school didn’t get around to it.

My advisor told me that these schools are rejecting me specifically because I am not attending the Baptist school.

No, my school does not have any religion courses available to me, but I’m an art and English teacher. My first degree did I. Fact have lots of religion included, I minored in religious studies.

I not required to teach anything but Art and English though.

It is what it is. I just thought it was pretty bad form to pass a Catholic up for a baptist.

 

[AnnArbor]

When you say your school is “highly regarded,” what specifically does that mean? Is there any chance the Baptist university has accreditations that are different from your school’s? Particularly in the area of education?

 

[Deltadeliquent]

No, the teacher training programs are very much the same since they are regulated as much by the province as by the university.
I will say that my school is very liberal in nature, but I am there because they offered endorsements in the subjects I want to teach, and it was less expensive by several thousand dollars.
I was rejected out of hand with no information about my background. Policy triumphs over reason.
I’ll move on, but it seems an unjust and damaging situation.

Oh, did I mention I already have four years experience teaching as a classroom teacher in a Catholic High school. Not volunteering, but a fully paid, fully responsible for everything teacher.

Thanks, Easter Joy, I’ll try to find a contact for the superintendent.

 

[Xantippe]

No, the teacher training programs are very much the same since they are regulated as much by the province as by the university.
I will say that my school is very liberal in nature, but I am there because they offered endorsements in the subjects I want to teach, and it was less expensive by several thousand dollars.
I was rejected out of hand with no information about my background. Policy triumphs over reason.
I’ll move on, but it seems an unjust and damaging situation.

Oh, did I mention I already have four years experience teaching as a classroom teacher in a Catholic High school. Not volunteering, but a fully paid, fully responsible for everything teacher.

Just apply for a job when the time comes. Obviously, the former interns probably have a slight edge, but bear in mind that many of them are not-very-impressive 23-year-old air heads that will fold up like a cheap tent in the face of a high school classroom. In fact, a lot of them probably already did that during their internships at this Catholic high school.

Also, think seriously about working in camps and extracurricular programs while you wait for a job to come through. There are millions of them, it’s potentially an even more rewarding environment, and it would give you fresh lines on your resume.

 

[MamaJewel]

I am in a teacher training course at a well regarded university in my diocese.
As part of the program I am to spend 13 weeks doing student teaching at a local school. I am to start next week.

My advisor has spent a lot of time trying to get me into a Catholic school for this practicum.
Catholic schools are on the list of possible places to do this part of the course.

However, I have been refused a place at all the Catholic High schools in the area.
The reason?
They will only accept student teachers from another university in the area. A private Baptist one. ( one that costs a lot more than my school.)

I find it incredibly ironic that I, a faithful, conservative Catholic am not Protestant enough to work at a Catholic school. I am being passed over in favor of someone who, by default, does not agree with nor believe Catholic doctrine, whilst I do.

What say you?

I’ve already written the Archbishop, but I’m not sure there’s enough time for him to do anything even were he willing.

Sounds about right for the Church in my region. I don’t mean to be cynical, but in my area the church’s actions do not match the religious rhetoric .

Also, maybe you need to contact an attorney if feel you are being discriminated against on the basis of your religion views. But before you do that, please ask the person in charge of selecting the interns why you weren’t considered for a position. There might be valid reasons which you are unaware of.

 

[Allegra]

I don’t think you know enough about the situation to judge what is going on. You say yourself, your university was slacking in getting the paperwork done. Unless the Catholic school system specifically told you that they only take students teachers from a specific college, you don’t know that is the case. However, there could be several legitimate reasons why that might be the case. For example, the Catholic schools system may have a special relationship with the university that allows their students to get extra field placement and internship possibilities in exchange for their assistance as coaches, club leaders, etc. The university I attended had such a relationship with a local public school district. There could also be legitimate reasons why they specifically don’t take students from your university. For example, if your university offices are slow to file paperwork, they could also be slow to cut checks for the stipends that are generally part of a cooperating teacher’s involvement in student teaching. The school district where I currently work does not accept student teachers from a specific local university because many of the teachers have complained of this as well as poor attendance and lack of preparation of the candidates. Teachers are highly invested in the success of their students. They don’t want to turn them over to just anyone. This doesn’t necessarily reflect poorly on you, but it only takes a few bad apples to compel someone to throw out the whole barrel.

 

[EasterJoy]

Yes, these things are meant to be set up further I. Advance. My school didn’t get around to it.

My advisor told me that these schools are rejecting me specifically because I am not attending the Baptist school.

No, my school does not have any religion courses available to me, but I’m an art and English teacher. My first degree did I. Fact have lots of religion included, I minored in religious studies.

I not required to teach anything but Art and English though.

It is what it is. I just thought it was pretty bad form to pass a Catholic up for a baptist.

When your school regularly gets their requests in as studiously as their counterparts at the other school, follows through by being just as reliable and still finds their students at a disadvantage, I’ll believe that there was partiality. As it is, the Catholic school is going to be “partial” to parties that are on the ball over parties that aren’t. That is not partiality; that is fairness.