Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Affiliation Agreements topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Radnor administrators defend Liberty University practicum agreement after parent concerns
Summary
A curriculum committee member relayed parent worries about partnering with Liberty University; administrators said the district expects hires to refrain from proselytizing and described the contract as a separate pre-student-teaching practicum agreement, not a student-teacher placement.
Radnor Township School District administrators told the curriculum committee they are comfortable moving forward with a practicum agreement with Liberty University after a board member relayed parents’ concerns about the institution’s religious mission.
The item under review is a distinct affiliation agreement for a pre–student-teaching practicum placement, Mr. Bechtel said, separate from the student-teacher agreement the board approved earlier this year. He described the practicum as a shorter, pre-service placement used by some universities.
During discussion a board member said she had heard from parents who were uneasy because evangelism is central to Liberty University’s stated mission and that raised questions about whether training placements could lead to inappropriate religious activity in schools. “I do want to acknowledge their concerns,” the member said, while reaffirming support for the district’s administrators.
Mr. Bechtel responded that the Radnor Township School District hires staff from diverse backgrounds and that the clear expectation for employees is to “check that at the door” and not proselytize in their official capacity. “Based on that belief, we’re very comfortable moving forward with this,” he said.
No formal action was taken by the committee on the item at this meeting; Mr. Bechtel asked that the affiliation agreements be moved forward to the full board for approval along with several other routine items, including new student clubs and overnight Model UN trips. Committee members asked for transparency and encouraged parents who believe a staff member has violated constitutional protections to bring those concerns to the district so they can be addressed.
The committee’s discussion did not identify any statutory authority or change to district policy; it focused on procedural differences between practicum and student-teacher paperwork and assurances about staff conduct. The agenda item will be considered by the full board at a later meeting.
