Why Don't I Teach in a Catholic School?

What a great question! I live in a county, where in this diocese, there is not one single secondary private school for Catholics. There is only one K-8 twenty miles west in the county seat. The nearest secondary school is 45 miles north, of which there are three: All boys, All girls, and one co-ed. No transportation is available if I wanted to send my son, north to school. Such a decision would require my husband and I to relocate. This is not financially feasible, since both our families live nearby, and we have chosen to remain nearby.

My husband's job, is rather specific, and he has been with the same company now for 18 years. I have been with my school district for 20, and finally reached the top of the pay-scale. Because I have paid into a defined-benefit retirement program in PA - PSERS - I am afforded a respectable retirement, upon reaching full-retirement. I have seen the individuals who "called to the higher order," taught in private schools, and then moved into the public school system. These people have not attained a fair retirement, and had to put many more years into the public school system to reap a fair retirement benefit. Yet, many gained benefits, such as improvements to the health and medical benefits and increased income.

I did not attend Catholic schools when I was growing up. That's because of the distance of the nearest school. My younger brothers atttended private Catholic schools in Cleveland. I was accepted to Gannon University, and attained my teaching certificate from a private Catholic University. That counts for something!

These are few of the reservations I have, which keep me from searching for a job in the private Catholic school system.

• The driving distance to a secondary school - (where I am qualified to teach) - 90 miles daily round trip
  
• The job insecurity - (new hire - and fiscal cuts, and private school closings)
  
• The tremendous pay cut - (in my case, nearly $25,000 annually)
  
• The loss of medical benefits
• The loss of fair retirement
• The loss of death benefit

It is a shame that there is no support for my county from the Diocese to house a secondary school in this county as well, and it is also a shame, that teachers with state certification cannot be paid the same rate, regardless of where they teach.