Employment.
Conditions for Employment:
In the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools’ Staff Handbook they outline the conditions of employment which are as follows:
“One of the conditions of employment is that you live a life that is in concert with our Catholic Christian values. At a basic level, we expect all employees to be involved with their faith, at whichever parish or church they belong. We expect staff to model Catholic Christian values in their relationships and daily life, at school, in the community, and in their families. You will be asked to sign a form, further to this matter, before a contract is offered.” (Staff Handbook : 12 Month Employees, 2010)
I believe that the above statement describes and outlines the expectations of a Catholic school teacher in regards to the lifestyle they ought to live. In addition, I believe that the statement needs to be understood by all teachers planning on teaching or who already are teaching in any Catholic school. I cannot emphasize enough the importance that a teacher must be prepared and willing to live a life that is in unison with the Catholic faith.
For some this may be an easy task but for others this demand can be quite challenging. Some may argue that the Catholic faith has become outdated and does not advance its beliefs with the advancement of technology. Others may say that the influence of the Catholic faith is brainwashing children to their beliefs in regards to abstinence, pro-life, homosexual lifestyles, etc. Furthermore, you may disagree with Catholic teachings and theology, which in these circumstances it is acceptable to admit that a Catholic faith based teaching career is not ideal for you. If a person were to teach in a Catholic school and did not agree with Catholic faith but chose to model it, they would be deemed acceptable teachers. Conversely, if a teacher went against the teachings of the Catholic faith and were poor representatives of the faith, the school board would have grounds for dismissal. Therefore all employees in Catholic schools must be ideal Catholic role models in order to maintain their employment.
Applications & Contracts:
When applying to a Catholic School there are many requirements that do not differ from the public school divisions, but there are a few extra elements required by to apply. Like most schools, the Catholic schools ask for an e-portfolio, resume, university/college transcripts, ATA statement of qualifications (TQS), valid teaching certificate, current police check, etc. Some other important documents that are required by Catholic school boards that differ from the public school boards are your baptismal certificate, two pastoral references and a philosophy of Catholic education (Teacher Applicants, 2014).
Simply, you need to show the school a copy of your baptismal certificate because this is proof that you are indeed a Catholic. Secondly, the pastoral references are broken up into two parts. The initial pastoral reference confirms your active involvement in a Catholic parish and an additional pastoral reference will be required prior to the awarding of a continuous contract (Teacher Applicants, 2014). Typically when applying, the school district’s website can provide you a form for your priest to fill out as your pastoral reference. Finally, you also require a philosophy of Catholic education which is a commentary on your own personal philosophy of Catholic Education (Teacher Applicants, 2014). It is also important to consider completing a course in Catholic theological foundations and a course in religious education methodology (Teacher Applicants, 2014). Having completed religion courses can aid in guaranteeing a continuous contract with most school boards or may be required by the school board like Edmonton Catholic Schools.
The application process takes time and gathering all the required documents can be a hassle, therefore a pre-service teacher should consider gathering documents and building their e-portfolio throughout their practicum. After applying, only those who meet the district’s needs and criteria will be granted an interview. Catholic schools highly prefer Catholic teachers; therefore they typically have an extra advantage over other teachers because Catholic school boards will typically only hire non-Catholics when there is a shortage of Catholic teachers.
In the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools’ Staff Handbook they outline the conditions of employment which are as follows:
“One of the conditions of employment is that you live a life that is in concert with our Catholic Christian values. At a basic level, we expect all employees to be involved with their faith, at whichever parish or church they belong. We expect staff to model Catholic Christian values in their relationships and daily life, at school, in the community, and in their families. You will be asked to sign a form, further to this matter, before a contract is offered.” (Staff Handbook : 12 Month Employees, 2010)
I believe that the above statement describes and outlines the expectations of a Catholic school teacher in regards to the lifestyle they ought to live. In addition, I believe that the statement needs to be understood by all teachers planning on teaching or who already are teaching in any Catholic school. I cannot emphasize enough the importance that a teacher must be prepared and willing to live a life that is in unison with the Catholic faith.
For some this may be an easy task but for others this demand can be quite challenging. Some may argue that the Catholic faith has become outdated and does not advance its beliefs with the advancement of technology. Others may say that the influence of the Catholic faith is brainwashing children to their beliefs in regards to abstinence, pro-life, homosexual lifestyles, etc. Furthermore, you may disagree with Catholic teachings and theology, which in these circumstances it is acceptable to admit that a Catholic faith based teaching career is not ideal for you. If a person were to teach in a Catholic school and did not agree with Catholic faith but chose to model it, they would be deemed acceptable teachers. Conversely, if a teacher went against the teachings of the Catholic faith and were poor representatives of the faith, the school board would have grounds for dismissal. Therefore all employees in Catholic schools must be ideal Catholic role models in order to maintain their employment.
Applications & Contracts:
When applying to a Catholic School there are many requirements that do not differ from the public school divisions, but there are a few extra elements required by to apply. Like most schools, the Catholic schools ask for an e-portfolio, resume, university/college transcripts, ATA statement of qualifications (TQS), valid teaching certificate, current police check, etc. Some other important documents that are required by Catholic school boards that differ from the public school boards are your baptismal certificate, two pastoral references and a philosophy of Catholic education (Teacher Applicants, 2014).
Simply, you need to show the school a copy of your baptismal certificate because this is proof that you are indeed a Catholic. Secondly, the pastoral references are broken up into two parts. The initial pastoral reference confirms your active involvement in a Catholic parish and an additional pastoral reference will be required prior to the awarding of a continuous contract (Teacher Applicants, 2014). Typically when applying, the school district’s website can provide you a form for your priest to fill out as your pastoral reference. Finally, you also require a philosophy of Catholic education which is a commentary on your own personal philosophy of Catholic Education (Teacher Applicants, 2014). It is also important to consider completing a course in Catholic theological foundations and a course in religious education methodology (Teacher Applicants, 2014). Having completed religion courses can aid in guaranteeing a continuous contract with most school boards or may be required by the school board like Edmonton Catholic Schools.
The application process takes time and gathering all the required documents can be a hassle, therefore a pre-service teacher should consider gathering documents and building their e-portfolio throughout their practicum. After applying, only those who meet the district’s needs and criteria will be granted an interview. Catholic schools highly prefer Catholic teachers; therefore they typically have an extra advantage over other teachers because Catholic school boards will typically only hire non-Catholics when there is a shortage of Catholic teachers.
Jesus image taken from : http://www.oldcatholicchristteacher.org/