what do you mean, "exactly"? ;)

also, thanks everyone for the help...I'm going to work on trying to get rec letters and I believe I'm going to rush whether I do or don't just for the awesome experience :)

So who IS teaching? It's a self-study program?

You have a sense of humor- I like you.


Um, I would interpret her as saying that the teachers, since they aren't nuns or people without degrees, consist of people that have gone through college, gotten their teaching degree, and are now teaching. It just happens to be at a Catholic school rather than a public school. No, it is not a self-study program.

Sorry for the confusion. I'm a lifelong Catholic and we use the term "lay person" to mean anyone who is non-clergy. It has nothing to do with obtaining a degree. So a layperson, to me, would mean someone who was not a nun, etc, regardless of their degree status. A college-educated trained teacher who was not a nun would still be called a lay person. So I was confused by who exactly that left. Apparently, this Catholic high school uses the term "lay person" a bit differently than the parish I've been part of for 20 years. Sorry about that!

Except, of course, that a nun is not clergy either; clergy = bishop, priest or deacon. ;)

I think the group of people you're trying to describe would be lay (not clergy) and non-religious (not members of a religious order of monks, friars, nuns or sisters. Clergy can be religious or secular.)

Goodness, yes. Sorry again. That's what I meant. But either way, if someone said that there were no nuns and no lay people teaching in a school here, we (at my parish, at least) would not know who was left, really.

And just to be clear, I truly wasn't trying to be snarky or anything. I just didn't know what exactly we were talking about. I'm very interested in education, and specifically parochial education, so I just wanted to see what all this meant. I even created a username after lurking on this board for years just to ask the question. :-)

It's cool, I sensed no snark. ;) (and welcome lurker!) Yes, what AnotherKD said. We had nuns who taught, one priest who taught an advanced theology class (I didn't take it), and one woman who was a self-described "lay person." She was divorced, had a daughter, so couldn't become a nun. But she took a vow of celibacy and poverty anyway, so I guess that's what defined her as "lay." I don't think many (if any) of the other teachers would consider themselves lay people. Just teachers. :)

If they were Catholic they were lay people. The other individual was also a lay person but was using the word wrong. The laity is just non clergy/non religious and refers to everyone who sits in the pews so to speak.

kcprin - if you are near kansas city (which I am guessing based on your signature) you have large alum groups in your area who are ready to help you with recs. However, you are going to be late with this if you don't act NOW.

Don't forget, your recs don't have to come from the town you live in. They can be from anywhere. Think of relatives and friends in other towns who might be of help.

It helps if the person writing you a recommendation knows you personally or is in your same area (so they can get information about you). If it's a "6 degrees of separation" referral, that is better than no recommendation at all.