Attendees explore careers in Catholic education at expo

Representatives from the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and St. Michael the Archangel High School in Baton Rouge said they are pleased with the response to the inaugural Catholic Educator Career Expo held at the diocesan high school last month.

Approximately 20 people attended the event. Some quickly sent in their applications or sought more information during the outreach effort, which the CSO and St. Michael High School initiated to proactively combat a local and national teacher shortage, according to Claire Willis, assistant superintendent of Catholic schools. The title of the expo was, “Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a teacher in a Catholic School?”

“The idea for the Catholic Educator Career Expo was born from a need to get creative with our recruitment of teachers – not just at St. Michael High School, but at all schools in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. We hoped to develop a means of helping prospective educators become more acquainted with the various pathways in becoming a Catholic school teacher,” said Julie Lechich, assistant principal at St. Michael.

 

 

Top right photo: Claire Willis, assistant superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, gives attendees an overview of what it takes to teach in a Catholic school classroom at a Catholic Educator Career Expo. Photo provided by Julie Lechich | St. Michael the Archangel High School
Photo above: A panel of Catholic educators shared their own experiences of teaching. Photo provided by Claire Willis | Assistant Superintendent of Catholic Schools

Willis said, “We gave them a general overview of the benefits and joys of teaching in a Catholic School … We exposed people to careers in Catholic education who maybe have had not seen themselves as teachers. Some don’t necessarily go into that profession to start with, so we talk with many people in different industries who may be looking for a career shift that’s better aligned with their values.”

The latter includes public school teachers, career changers, retired people, those seeking certification, recent college graduates, parents who have taken time off to raise children who are now in school, parish school of religion teachers, etc.

Several credentialing agencies, such as the LSU and Southern University education departments, the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators, and iTeach, presented information about their programs.
Eight educators from various diocesan schools served on a panel to share with attendees their own experiences and how they found their pathways into teaching at a Catholic School.

“All of them were teachers who didn’t necessarily enter Catholic education first. It was not their first career essentially or their initial plan,” said Willis. “They shared their reasons why they found themselves in Catholic education and why it’s been such a great experience for them."

 

A panel of Catholic educators shared their own experiences of teaching. Photo provided by Claire Willis | Assistant Superintendent of Catholic Schools