I WAS a graduate of your program (BA/BA) (later, M.Div) and appreciated most of it in general, but after leaving, and having started my first teaching job in a public school in california I suddenly began experiencing the reality of "school politics". Of course, when I arrived some of the savvy teachers did some "research" on me..and found out I went to Calvin College..and then they googled Calvin College and deemed it "conservative" and made stereotypes about me (all without ever talking to me by the way) and suddenly I was the big mean conservative in the midst of the mostly -liberal faculty. This was NOT something I anticipated or knew how to handle..and all the while I was trying to teach large classrooms every day, most of whom were ESL ..; (by the way, the Christian prinicipal who hired me retired after hiring me just before the school year began... so I was his last hire..he didn't tell me he was about to retire..; it might have made a difference about accepting the job had I known what was about to transpire with the new principal)...and this is a TRUE STORY..the new principal once called me into his office for a "chat" and asked me if I went to a "reformed school" ..IN HIS MIND.."reform school" meant a school for bad kids ...kind of like juvenile detention..; he had NO IDEA about the "REFORMED TRADITION" (in terms of the Reformed & Christian Reformed Church in America), and knew nothing about the excellent academics of Calvin College. As you can imagine, his negative stereotypes about me continued to rise in his mind...and it's kind of difficult to "educate" your "superior". Anyways, I left there after two years and he got fired anyways, but my point of all of this is that even though Calvin College is a very good academic institution, for those of us who leave the midwest, if we encounter ignorant administrators (& some liberal faculty) in the school settings , their lack of knowledge & understanding can lead to problems for us if we work there.. ; maybe Calvin could help by warning of this issue (maybe an issue unbeknownst to you ) or maybe do more marketing outside the region, so that Calvin is better known as a "national college" (and pretty soon a university) rather than a "regional college". Maybe I just had a rare experience with some very ignorant people..but I thought I should inform you,...and hope and pray you can help others before they find themselves in similar situations...
After my first teaching job I continued to a second teaching job, and while less prejudice ..there was STILL some issues to overcome in terms of "them" (liberal faculty & administrators) as having negative stereotypes re anybody who attended a Christian conservative college such as Calvin (even though it may not actually be so conservative anymore) .
#Repent&BeBaptized ! #acceptChrist2bSaved2day !
