Religous Co-ops and the teacher(update in #52)

[Aslana]

Let's play a suppose game. Suppose you have the opportunity to hire a new teacher for your religious co-op. Suppose you had a list of hiring requirements but did not post that list when you posted the employment opportunity.

 

Here's what is happening:

 

1- A person responds to your email post asking for more information. For the purpose of this discussion, though as the hiring person you wouldn't know this yet; this person is not religious--they aren't atheist but they aren't agnostic or really they just don't identify as any religion or non-religion. If you had just met this person on the street, you would have nothing that would identify them as any religion or non-religion. They dress rather normal--no stark colors or funky hair--they may or may not have tattoos but if they do, you cannot see them. They don't speak to you in any way that would indicate a religious preference or a non-religious one (live and let live and they don't bash). In fact, the worst judgement you could make about them at the moment of meeting would be they smoke.

 

2--So now we come to the interview. This person presents themselves professionally to you and all I said above is true. Of course, you wouldn't know they smoke unless you smell it, but you didn't see it. And if you asked, the person would tell you that they understood the non-smoking rules. However, during the interview, the question of statement of faith comes up. Also too, the question of this person's belief system. The person answers you as I stated above--they do not identify as any one thing, they do not and prefer not to be labelled. They have given you zero indication that they would be or would do anything that would go against the school's mission in teaching, except maybe not sign the statement of faith, since they don't really have one. But they would not be against signing a declaration form that states they would do nothing that would go against the statement of faith.

 

3--The position this person is applying for is to teach Middle school writing and grammar only. You learn that they are also a homeschooler, about ready to graduate their last child and that this person is also in school earning her degree in Social Sciences with the intent of becoming a Secondary level teacher. She's had enough schooling that should could very easily teach this subject material. She also has no problem using the curriculum provided because her point of view is "well, it is writing and grammar. In all honesty, I can leave religion out of this all the way around. I can pick writing subjects out of the curriculum, which would cover me if anyone complained, and I can grade it objectively because I have a rubric that shows me how to grade it. As long as I do not deviate from that, my lack of belief system should not come in to play". It is undetermined as of yet, whether she stated this during the interview.

 

4--She is equally qualified compared to the other applicants (all homeschool moms), the only difference being --she is not declaring a religion and she's in school to become a teacher. And assume that this person only wants the job for the teaching experience and no other reason (no hidden agenda, nothing).

 

5--It is for a paid position for the year.

 

 

Assume nothing else. These are the particulars. The question is: would you hire her?

 

 

Aslana

 

eta: would your hiring opinion change if the person was atheist, but all the rest of the above applied?

[mommaduck]

why not?

[MrsBasil]

I, personally, wouldn't want to be run or be in a religious co-op that has a required statement of faith, but they seem to be fairly normal.

 

I might hire this person, it would depend on how the other interviews went, but I do think there are some religious co-ops where the expectation is that those in leadership ascribe to a certain set of beliefs.

 

The interviewee might want to steel herself for that

[Aslana]

why not?

 

well, I would assume that since it is a religious co-op and the person applying is not religious, and especially not of their bent (whatever that might be), that might prevent her from being hired.

 

I, personally, wouldn't want to be run or be in a religious co-op that has a required statement of faith, but they seem to be fairly normal.

 

I might hire this person, it would depend on how the other interviews went, but I do think there are some religious co-ops where the expectation is that those in leadership ascribe to a certain set of beliefs.

 

The interviewee might want to steel herself for that

 

And on that, I do agree. But I edited above--assume this person is looking at this as a way to add to her resume some teaching experience. So even though this person may not have ever been part of a co-op like this, because it's truly all that's available at the moment, she thought she'd give it a shot, considering her career choice.

[AMJ]

She would certainly be under consideration if I were making the call.

 

How important to the hiring organization is it that everyone who teaches there subscribe to their particular statement of faith whole-heartedly? Would the applicant's religious views be considered equally (or more) important than his/her fitness as a teacher? In your scenario the applicant is willing to work within the culture of the religious co-op. Why should the applicant be disqualified on basis of personal belief?

 

My family can be called "multi-denominational". I was raised in one denomination, DH in another, my aunt (a minister in another denomination) married us, we sent our kids to a daycare run by another denomination, and they have attended schools that proclaimed themselves "non-denominational". Interestingly enough, it was the supposed non-denominational schools that wanted letters from pastors and statements of personal belief. The specific denominations never seemed to mind WHAT we believed -- all that mattered to them was if we were willing to allow the teaching of their beliefs to kids.

 

I would strongly recommend that the religious co-op first look for qualified teachers, since the reason for the co-op is to educate. AFTER the co-op determines an applicant's fitness as a teacher they can determine if the applicant will work well in the culture of the co-op. To allow any other concern to override the fitness of the applicant AS A TEACHER would be foolhardy and a breach of the trust the students (and their parents) place in the co-op.

[Aslana]

I do agree with you, AMJ. Everything you said. However, this person is aware that due to her lack of religious belief, there is a very high chance she would not get the position, which would then go to another homeschool mom who may not have any teaching credentials at all other than homeschooling. Which this is for a homeschool co-op but as I stated, this person is using this partially as a very small income and mostly as an opportunity to show she has some teaching experience.

 

So, given the diversity in beliefs on this board, I posited the question because of this person's lack of belief and this school's very religious belief. Some on this board have stated they do take into consideration the beliefs of the co-op/teacher, but others have stated they don't care. I'm trying to get a more accurate opinion on either side given the parameters.

[Aslana]

I edited above: would your hiring opinion change if the person was atheist, but all the rest of the above applied?

[T'smom]

If the other applicants were not as qualified, I would hire her, atheist or not. If someone of the religion had equal qualifications, that person would get the job.

 

But I probably would not be involved in a co-op that required a signed statement of faith.

[Murphy101]

No. Unless there's some reason to think otherwise, people often join (and often pay serious money) religious coops or schools because they specificly want people of the same beliefs teaching their children. This goes double if the coop has developed a SOF.

 

I've heard many work around for people to either sign them while not actually believing them or promising not to do anything contrary to it, which can be hard when they don't live that belief. But for me that always strikes me as disingenuous.

 

So it's a no vote from me.

 

[Mom0012]

Double post

[Mom0012]

Triple post

[Mom0012]

I'd hire her, but I don't believe in excluding people based on their religion or lack of faith. If it's a homeschool coop and she's got great credentials, they're lucky to get her IMHO.

[PachiSusan]

If signing the Statement of Faith is a non negotiable of the job, then the rule follower in me would not hire her.

[Farrar]

I don't understand why this is a question. She's qualified and could be considered if there weren't other applicants, but all things being equal there are other equally qualified applicants, so why wouldn't the co-op hire someone who is more in keeping with their worldview?

 

I don't like SoF's. I wouldn't want to be a part of a religious co-op. However, I can respect that they would give weight to hiring someone of their opinion.

[Aslana]

Martha-does your opinion change based in the subject matter? I can understand your point if we are talking about science or history. But this is writing and grammar for middle school. Honestly, how could one teach this with any other bent other than writing and grammar?

 

(By that I mean, it's writing and grammar. There's nothing up for opinion or in question like science and history would be.)

 

I do not know if the SOF is conditional, which is why it was left out of the scenario. I do know that person in question agrees with the majority regarding SOFs but that person in question would really like a teaching position and this is an opportunity to test the waters.

 

Oh and Martha, not picking on you. I'm genuinely curious if parameters could be altered based on certain things given.

[AimeeM]

Well, do they want faith integrated across the curriculum? I mean, would they want writing assignments ABOUT religious topics?

If I wanted faith integrated across the curriculum, I'm not sure that I would hire a teacher who refused (or couldn't) provide that in a way that meshed with my/our religious beliefs.

 

If I wanted my child to write across the curriculum, including catechism, I would want that integrated into her writing instruction, kwim?

[TranquilMind]

Let's play a suppose game. Suppose you have the opportunity to hire a new teacher for your religious co-op. Suppose you had a list of hiring requirements but did not post that list when you posted the employment opportunity.

 

Here's what is happening:

 

1- A person responds to your email post asking for more information. For the purpose of this discussion, though as the hiring person you wouldn't know this yet; this person is not religious--they aren't atheist but they aren't agnostic or really they just don't identify as any religion or non-religion. If you had just met this person on the street, you would have nothing that would identify them as any religion or non-religion. They dress rather normal--no stark colors or funky hair--they may or may not have tattoos but if they do, you cannot see them. They don't speak to you in any way that would indicate a religious preference or a non-religious one (live and let live and they don't bash). In fact, the worst judgement you could make about them at the moment of meeting would be they smoke.

 

2--So now we come to the interview. This person presents themselves professionally to you and all I said above is true. Of course, you wouldn't know they smoke unless you smell it, but you didn't see it. And if you asked, the person would tell you that they understood the non-smoking rules. However, during the interview, the question of statement of faith comes up. Also too, the question of this person's belief system. The person answers you as I stated above--they do not identify as any one thing, they do not and prefer not to be labelled. They have given you zero indication that they would be or would do anything that would go against the school's mission in teaching, except maybe not sign the statement of faith, since they don't really have one. But they would not be against signing a declaration form that states they would do nothing that would go against the statement of faith.

 

3--The position this person is applying for is to teach Middle school writing and grammar only. You learn that they are also a homeschooler, about ready to graduate their last child and that this person is also in school earning her degree in Social Sciences with the intent of becoming a Secondary level teacher. She's had enough schooling that should could very easily teach this subject material. She also has no problem using the curriculum provided because her point of view is "well, it is writing and grammar. In all honesty, I can leave religion out of this all the way around. I can pick writing subjects out of the curriculum, which would cover me if anyone complained, and I can grade it objectively because I have a rubric that shows me how to grade it. As long as I do not deviate from that, my lack of belief system should not come in to play". It is undetermined as of yet, whether she stated this during the interview.

 

4--She is equally qualified compared to the other applicants (all homeschool moms), the only difference being --she is not declaring a religion and she's in school to become a teacher. And assume that this person only wants the job for the teaching experience and no other reason (no hidden agenda, nothing).

 

5--It is for a paid position for the year.

 

 

Assume nothing else. These are the particulars. The question is: would you hire her?

 

 

Aslana

 

eta: would your hiring opinion change if the person was atheist, but all the rest of the above applied?

 

 

She might be equally qualified as far as the academic material goes. Is her adhering to the faith of the co-op important? In some, it's critical. Others, not so much.

 

Does she seem like the best person to teach those kids? Hiring is as much gut feeling as it is credentials.

[mom2att]

My co-op works a little differently in that we don't hire teachers, but we do bring in "professionals" to teach who are paid by the parents of kids in the class. So there's no interview process or anything like that. But it's sorta up to me to find people, and I just look for those who are good teachers with a love for their subject. I've asked a non-believing person to teach Marine Biology several times, because she's an outstanding teacher who loves what she does. We've also had a writing teacher who may or may not have been a believer--it never really came up either way. Our group does have a statement of faith, but no one, not even the membership, has to sign it.

 

I think the candidate sounds very qualified and I would certainly hire her in the OP's position.

[NotSoObvious]

At the religious co-op here, you would not be hired. Period. All teachers have to sign a statement of faith.

 

My kids could attend but, even with a MEd, I could never teach there because we aren't the right religion.

[TKDmom]

Are your members required to sign a SOF to take classes? If so, it seems a little hypocritical to hire a teacher who can't sign the SOF. I have been unable to join co-ops (where I just wanted to take an art class) because I couldn't sign the SOF. I would be miffed to know there were teachers who didn't have to sign it to teach.

 

I would want to hire her. But I am also firmly on the side of not requiring members to sign a SOF. I'm currently with a co-op who has a SOF, but it's only for our info. I'm happy to abide by their rules. I'm happy to know their position. I teach for them, and I'm very careful not to teach anything that might upset members of their faith.

 

[TXBeth]

Religion aside, I would not hire her if I smelled smoke. I wouldn't want my kids to have to put up with the smell. I personally wouldn't mind a non-religious or atheist teacher for grammar and writing; but if the co-op had a statement of faith that members had to sign, I think it would be silly to hire a teacher that couldn't honestly sign it.

[TraceyS/FL]

From the academic side, she sounds like the best candidate for the job - and academics would be why I would be seeking the class.

 

BUT, I won't join a group that requires a statement of faith, and the ones I have been a part of with them wouldn't have allowed her to teach either.

 

So my vote would be looking for the best candidate for the job, but I can understand the group saying no. That said, I have to wonder why the full "requirements" for the position weren't posted, and I'd want to cover my behind about changing them after someone else applied (since it is a paid position I'm assuming there are tax issues involved along with the potential for the labor board involvement, which is the world i'm living in at the moment so it comes to mind).

 

ETA: never type when your kids are talking... ye gads! LOL!!

[TraceyS/FL]

OH and for the record, I went to a Catholic HIgh School, and two of my best teachers were not Catholic (nor was I). Both teachers were GEMS to the school and they were beyond lucky to have them on staff, one was a non-Denominational Christian - who happens to now be the head of the Math department, my best friends son had him last year and "got math" for the first time EVER without a tutor, and the other was Jewish. She was allowed to talk to us about it if she wanted too (she was my Geometry teacher).

 

I'm a firm believer in the "most qualified for the job", baring anything illegal and all that.

 

And the person above that mentioned the denominational SChools not caring about the SOF as much as the non-denom - my experience too. The school my DD went to didn't care that we weren't of their faith, they just needed to know we weren't going to object to them teaching their beliefs.

[Haiku]

I think your first responsibility is to provide a quality teacher for your students.

 

The whole SOF thing rubs me the wrong way because it artificially limits the stidents' opportunities to learn from the best teachers.

 

Tara

[QuirkyKapers]

I think it would depend on the tone of your co-op. Some I have been in that were religious, the parents would have had a stroke on the spot of they found out the person didn't fit whatever their idea of religious was. Others would allow x amount of people who didn't fit whatever their religious ideas to teach. Personally, I never have cared, especially if they know what they are doing. Especially for subjects like grammar and Math. Better someome qualified who knows what they are talking about than someone who doesn't know it and makes things more confusing than they need to be or just plain is wrong.

[AMJ]

I edited above: would your hiring opinion change if the person was atheist, but all the rest of the above applied?

 

 

My opinion regarding the applicant would not change due to them being atheist -- they have already stated a willingness to follow (in the classroom) the culture of the co-op. But I am not narrow-minded when it comes to religion, and I see education as the top priority of educational organizations.

 

However, you have again stressed the strength of religious view of this co-op -- in my experience organizations that feel this strongly about their own views will not tolerate employees who are not actively reflecting that they believe the same. Such organizations also tend to feel they have a calling to speak their interpretation of God's Word to everyone every day, and that this calling supersedes any and all other duties and priorities.

 

Such closed-mindedness and unwillingness to put education first is one of the smaller reasons why we are switching to homeschool now, and not in one more year. We are seeking to get away from a school whose culture is moving in a direction with which we don't agree. We don't need a school that spends its energy preaching to the choir -- we need a good, solid education for our kids. We as a family are perfectly capable of handling the religious aspect. (And boy, will we! Ours will go 'way beyond "multi-denominational".)

 

If your friend is the applicant tell her if she does not get offered the position (I'm assuming your friend is a "she") not to worry about it -- she would be unhappy there if they feel that strongly about religion. Move on, and find something better.

[Kathryn]

My random thoughts, with the caveat that I don't agree with having people sign SOFs (I have no problem with an organization stating what they believe and asking that members/employees respect that):

 

- if others are EQUALLY as qualified, I'd expect that those in charge would pick someone able to sign their SOF.

 

- smelling like smoke is never a good idea on an interview

 

- as someone else mentioned, that's a pretty big

requirement left off of the ad and I'm really not sure about the legality of advertising for a paying job and then saying a SOF is required when a non-religious person interviews.

 

- if this is truly the best applicant, then I would be more than happy to have her sign something that she wouldn't teach anything against the SOF and hire her. Again, as someone pointed out, if I'm going to pay for someone else to teach my child, it's because I want a qualified person to do so, not because I want x kind of Christian to do so--I could do that myself!

 

 

[Aslana]

As for smoke-- applicant is aware of what to do to prevent over powering. It was just the worst thing about said applicant.

 

As for the religious nature if the coop. I was only going off what's on their website. Applicant has not spoken to the person as of yet to know whether a signed SOF would be required of her or not. The coop IS religious, the applicant is just not sure exactly what would be required of her as far as the SOF is concerned.

[Aslana]

double post...sorry.

[Aslana]

Forgive double post. On phone and can't edit rigt now.

[Candid]

Because I've been on a nonprofit board (not home school related) that was part of a national group that trained boards of directors I guess I have a different take.

 

What are your lines of accountability? Who do you report to?

 

In our areas we have a bunch of co-ops, some religious some not, some connected with high level national groups. So the decision would depend on my lines of accountability.

 

My one friend runs an unaffiliated co-op, it's our town's oldest and while it is nominally Christian, I'm pretty sure my friend is the end of the line, all her decisions are hers. Now, of course, as any person in business would have to do she needs to know her market in terms of what the parents will be okay with, she also needs to make sure she doesn't falsely advertise her group as one thing or offering one thing and then have other things on the menu.

 

Other groups are associated with national organizations, I believe they have clear guidelines they must follow. If they don't the national affiliation maybe removed, plus parents would have the right to say they had been lied to if those guidelines were not followed.

 

Other groups have boards of directors, in the end those groups act as my friend, the decision makers. If you are part of that group but have been charged with this task, you must check with them. Similarly if you are not part of the group but have been given this job. That group must act like my friend and consider those they are serving plus they should have a legal document called By Laws that they must also follow.

 

In each of these instance there maybe legal ramifications.

[Aslana]

Candid, that's an excellent post and unfortunately, applicant is not sure of any of the above as of yet. One thing I did forget to mention, based on their website they only have 5 people running this coop but I am not sure if that's it or if that's just the teachers. The person doing the hiring is one of the 5.

[Murphy101]

Martha-does your opinion change based in the subject matter? I can understand your point if we are talking about science or history. But this is writing and grammar for middle school. Honestly, how could one teach this with any other bent other than writing and grammar?

 

 

No. Writing is usually full of opinions, perspectives, and so forth.

 

Are your members required to sign a SOF to take classes? If so, it seems a little hypocritical to hire a teacher who can't sign the SOF. I have been unable to join co-ops (where I just wanted to take an art class) because I couldn't sign the SOF. I would be miffed to know there were teachers who didn't have to sign it to teach.

 

 

I agree. I'd be miffed too. It depends on the organization. For many it's not that they are closed minded, it's that they are trying to create a haven for those who are like-minded to feel confortable.

 

 

If the group has many memebers who don't sign the SOF or if the SOF is less statement and more an understanding that the SOF is the law of the land in that coop, then this question would be moot to me.

[Farrar]

To me, the only variable you could change to make it more of a question would be if she was *more* qualified to teach than the other candidates, even if it was only somewhat. Then I would personally say they should hire her. But all things being equal, it still seems like a no-brainer than they wouldn't.

[Aslana]

I guess I'm coming at it from the perspective that while writing may be full o opinion and such, if the applicant has to use whatever curriculum they provide, then that does not leave room for these opinions at all. Applicant would have to teach exactly as curriculum states an thus, wouldn't be able to opine outside of that

[Murphy101]

I guess I'm coming at it from the perspective that while writing may be full o opinion and such, if the applicant has to use whatever curriculum they provide, then that does not leave room for these opinions at all. Applicant would have to teach exactly as curriculum states an thus, wouldn't be able to opine outside of that.

 

And who is going to monitor that that is what she does?

 

Would it not be easier to hire someone that doesn't have to sweat following it?

 

And all things being equal, she isn't any more qualified as far as actual teaching experience than the home school moms, so you might as well hire one of them.

 

I'd take someone who has actually taught over a newbie out of school any day.

[Incognito]

I think it will really come down to what sort of a group it is. Some people feel strongly that the teachers of their children share their worldview until the child is old enough to figure it out for themselves (and the age that happens varies).

 

If I were doing the hiring, I would strongly consider what the families from the co-op would expect and hire accordingly. The smoke issue could easily be just as big as the difference in faith. I wouldn't want to throw this teacher to the wolves and give them a bad trial teaching experience with difficult parents- the teacher might be good, but not a good fit for the group.

 

Personally, I would prefer a group without such a SOF and I would hire such a candidate, but around here that sort of group doesn't exist.

[Aslana]

She isn't just a newbie out of school. She's a homeschool mom as well and I did state as much.

 

And while there is a SOF, there is no indication as of yet that she has to sign it.

[Murphy101]

Oh well sorry bout that oversight on my part.

[sassenach]

No. All teachers at our co-op must sign a sof. It's a pretty thin one compared to many other co-ops, but it's non-negotiable. We have no SOF for participants.

[Woodland_Mom]

I would not hire her. Your co-op is a religious co-op that utilizes a statement of faith. If the leaders and teachers do not sign/believe in the statement of faith, then what is the point of having a statement of faith? Those who enroll should be able to reasonably expect that it is indeed a religious co-op and the classes would be taught by individuals who have similar beliefs and agree with the statement of faith.

 

Writing class is the perfect setting for students to infuse their world views in their essays, but it sounds like the applicant would opt to keep religion out of the class. What if a student chose to insert his/her religious views in an essay? Would it be deemed inappropriate by this teacher? IMO, you should keep looking for an applicant that better suits the needs of your co-op. The ability to the material is only one part of the position.

[sassenach]

She isn't just a newbie out of school. She's a homeschool mom as well and I did state as much.

 

And while there is a SOF, there is no indication as of yet that she has to sign it.

 

 

Is there a reason she hasn't asked? It seems to me that it would be one of the first questions to cover.

[J-rap]

It seems like a fairly simple answer. If the co-op has a statement of faith and it requires all teachers to sign it, then no. Because that is a rule they have set in place, and it's not fair to the parents to say one thing and do another.

 

But if the requirement is simply that the teacher must officially state that he/she would never do or say anything that would go against the group's statement of faith, then if he/she were the best candidate -- yes.

[sassenach]

I want to expand on a thought here. Our co-op, which requires SOF for teachers, doesn't teach from a particularly religious position. We may occasionally reference Christianity, but for the most part, it's a place that is comfortable enough to have several non-christian families participate. In fact, the only thing that really defines us as a Christian co-op is the teacher SOF.

 

This is important, because we believe that when you allow your child to be taught by someone else, you are giving them a level of authority over that child. I would guess that most people would agree with that. The major difference as a Christian parent is I believe that scripture tells us that that authority and influence extends beyond the mind. I believe that education is the cultivation of a soul As such, it's my responsibility as a parent to carefully choose who I hand over authority to. I know to someone who is not a Christian, this may seem over the top, weird, ect, but it is the truth that I, and many of my peers, operate out of.

 

The subject being taught really isn't relevant to me. I believe that there are many talented, gifted, and competent teachers out there who are also Christians. Those are the men and women whom I choose to have teach my children at this stage.

[Aslana]

She hasn't asked yet because she is waiting to speak to them. She will call today to speak to them.

 

As for writing and worldview, I did state that applicant would follow the rubric of the writing class so as to avoid any issue. If that rubric asked for religious viewpoints, then applicant is actually trained to grade papers without bias. The issue of their beliefs in a paper would be a non-issue to her because she knows how to follow a rubric and grade accordingly.

 

As for those that said module to the SOF, don't get too hung on that at the moment. Applicant will find out today whether he would be required to sign as a declaration of faith or if she would be required to sign as an understanding to the co-ops beliefs (I am familiar with one coop that only asks you to sign as an understanding of the foundation, not as a declaration of faith).

[Aslana]

Stupid phone. I've no idea where module came from in the last post and she is definitely a she, not a he.

 

Sometimes I want to toss this phone.

[Candid]

Candid, that's an excellent post and unfortunately, applicant is not sure of any of the above as of yet. One thing I did forget to mention, based on their website they only have 5 people running this coop but I am not sure if that's it or if that's just the teachers. The person doing the hiring is one of the 5.

 

I think, having done some interviews, that the other difficulty is knowing exactly how other candidates stack up against her. There's no real way to know that. If the interviewer said something to her, the next candidate may have come in an blown her away.

 

I recently did speech judging while my son debated and there were some students who got very high overall speaking marks on the scales they gave us but still came in way behind other speakers in the round ranks because those other speakers went above and beyond the scales. A similar thing can happen in interviews.

 

As others have noted if other candidates are exactly the same but have the faith component then that gives them an edge. I think any honest teacher would admit that there is more between a teacher and student than just transfer of knowledge. It can be an important, life changing relationship.

 

Because of this the interviewer should be looking at the whole package. Not just the academic parts. I did this in interviews and if anything it got more complex because we were hiring someone to be the part of a small team. So no matter their background, they also had to be a positive addition to the team in terms of cohesiveness and personality.

[Aslana]

And that, Candid, might be a downfall. They might e thinking in terms of that likeness and SOF may not actually factor into that. I'll have more info after she calls.

[Aslana]

Here is the update, according to applicant in question:

 

The phone call went very well. The SOF in question does not need to be signed, it is more of a statement of "this is who we are and as long as you understand this, everything is cool". The issue of being non-religious and even atheist did come up and the interviewer explain how she is a person who believes strongly in doing as Christ would do, believes strongly in everyone having a chance, and also is very strong in her faith so a non-religious person or even an atheist would not be a bother to this group --as long as that person understood that the group was faith based and they did nothing that would go against the group. She came away feeling very confident with this person as a leader (the applicant to the interviewer) and very confident that her skills as a teacher would be what's evaluated, not whether she was Christian enough.

 

None of the other concerns were actual concerns of this leader. She stated that while the group is faith based, it is very open and they have several non-religious people attending their co-op. Lastly, she said that the interviewer said the ONLY reason she would not get the position is because another mom, who already teaches there, has expressed interest in picking up another class. Even though there were 3 other women who applied (and one of those 3 was this other mom), she was told that she was definitely at the top of the list.

 

 

Now I have to help her type up a bio and a short syllabus to give the other teachers/admins something to look at. :D

 

Thanks for your input, everyone. Even if she does not get the position, she did feel as though she met someone who was more in line with certain things than what has been presented to her in the past.