God Bless All The Little Children

Profiling Teacher APPLICANTS!

From Linda Aschenbach

This is a chilling letter that was forwarded to us by a teacher who received it at a recent Education Teachers' Summit (not in Minnesota). It is brazen in profiling teacher applicants for beliefs, attitudes,and values, even before professional credentials are considered.

This form letter was developed by the Clover Park School District in Lakewood, Washington and the text of the letter follows. The teacher was told that it actually has been delivered to at least one individual.

The question, of course, is this: Who is it who is to determine what are the acceptable beliefs and attitudes and values of our teachers? The U.S. Department of Labor? The federal bureaucrats? Those who keep talking about "local control?" Is this where "diversity" takes us?

Is this freedom?

This letter is the natural next step from requiring that students may not graduate without the appropriate and acceptable beliefs, attitudes and values (the Profile of Learning). In fact, the substance of the new Teacher Licensing Requirements in Minnesota is the acceptance of a worldview, beliefs, attitudes and values, as opposed to knowledge.

June 4, 1999

Clover Park School District
Hugh E. Burkett, Ph.D., Superintendent
10903 Gravelly Lake Drive SW
Lakewood, WA 98499-1341

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in teaching positions with the Clover Park School District. We appreciate the thought, time and energy you have invested in our candidate selection process.

As you are aware the Urban Teacher Perceiver (UTP) Interview is a
significant part of our application process. The UTP Interview process is designed to identify those teachers who possess a system of beliefs and values that are shared by teachers within culturally and economically diverse school systems like Clover Park School District.

This instrument was developed by the Gallup Organization using the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures from the U.S. Department of Labor. This tool allows us to identify those who would be most successful in our school community.

Unfortunately, the profiles of other applicants more closely match our district's needs at this time and your name has not been placed in our candidate pool. The Urban Teacher Perceiver is not a test and does not rely on knowledge of teaching or subject matter. Instead it identifies the interviewee's views and beliefs and value connections with urban education.

    Because of that, re-interviews are not productive until enough time has passed for experience to have effected change. You may re-apply for teaching positions with our District after two full years have elapsed from your initial interview date and be re-interviewed at that time. We wish you the very best in your professional pursuits and aspirations.

           Sincerely,

         Carole Burger
         Administrator for Human Resources