A high degree of control over what is taught, how it is taught, and when it is taught continue to be key characteristics of independent schools, the community within which virtually all Episcopal schools operate. The best schools are also collaborative organizations focused on continuous improvement and cutting-edge practices.
Where, then, do Episcopal school chaplains and the Episcopal school chaplaincy fit in to this evolving balance between professional autonomy and shared practice? For seminary-trained clergy, it can be difficult to navigate this unique blend of teacher autonomy, high expectations, and school-by-school standards for professional practice.
What follows are some key differences between church and school ministry that, when recognized, can ease the transition into school chaplaincy, followed by five ways that schools can support Episcopal school chaplains in their work.
Key Differences Between Churches and Schools
There are “curricular” differences between church and school.
On a given Sunday, Episcopalians across the Church’s many Provinces will hear a predictable set of scriptural passages and celebrate a common moment in the liturgical year. These common texts, prayers, liturgies, and calendar provide a known and predictable “curriculum” that guide and structure the work of the congregation.
There is no such “common curriculum” in Episcopal education. While Episcopal school worship remains grounded in the Book of Common Prayer, how and when the school worships and the exact structure of that worship vary greatly. When it comes to academic instruction, including religious studies, there is even less common ground. A given religious studies curriculum is typically unique to and developed by each school, perhaps even by an individual teacher or chaplain in the school. Similarly, the chaplain’s job description and the ways that he or she intersects with school life vary widely as well.
Having been trained to know and understand a common body of prayer and practice, clergy new to Episcopal school chaplaincy can legitimately wonder how there can be no prescribed curriculum materials or a well-established chapel lectionary. In turn, school leaders may be surprised by what they perceive to be a chaplain’s expectation that the curriculum and chapel program will be “handed to them.”
Weekday school and Sunday school are not the same.
A chaplain’s experience with youth ministry and/or Christian education often makes him or her a very attractive candidate for Episcopal school chaplaincy and teacher of religion. But there are critical differences between teaching in a church setting and teaching in a school setting.
Church programs take place outside of school and the school day. There are no grades or evaluations, activities and lessons are designed to engage students very personally and often socially, and a Sunday school class is often more relaxed than the school-day classroom. Young people participate in church school programs voluntarily. They need not attend every week nor are they required to participate in every activity or program offered.
In schools, religion class is usually mandatory. Students complete required assignments and receive a grade and/or teacher comment. Students may arrive after recess or before the big science test, bringing into class with them the totality of a particular school day. In small schools, the chaplain often teaches a wide age range, often wider than that of their colleagues. Chaplains of early childhood programs may not have deep experience with very young children. Finally, every school has its spoken and unspoken expectations about “how we do things” that may be less than obvious to a chaplain new to the school and to classroom teaching.
Assuming that the chaplain can readily jump into all of the responsibilities of classroom teaching, the school may neglect to provide a program of professional development as it would for other teachers. Meanwhile, the chaplain can feel adrift or unsupported in this part of the job.
Churches and schools have different professional practices and expectations.
Independent schools come from a tradition that expects everyone to do everything. While stipends and paid compensation for additional duties are more common today than in the past, most independent schools, including Episcopal schools, have a distinctive “do whatever it takes” culture. Teachers undertake a multitude of duties and projects outside of the classroom, from being a student advisor to chaperoning overnight trips, advising a club, performing lunch and bus duty, attending faculty meetings, participating on a faculty committee, and attending parent nights and other school events on evenings and weekends. In most cases, these are considered simply “part of the job” and can vary year-to-year or over time. Indeed, the scope of faculty duties remains a hot-button issue in schools.
In contrast, clergy salaries and benefits are normally determined by detailed diocesan guidelines that, in addition to salary, attend to housing costs, travel allowances, provision for sabbatical, and other non-cash benefits. Because parish clergy do not work a traditional Monday through Friday workweek, on-duty and off-duty time is well defined with increasing attention to maintaining healthy personal and professional boundaries so as to prevent clergy burnout.
An ordained chaplain who arrives at an Episcopal school will most likely expect a clear job description that outlines the hours, events, and duties expected. Yet the school may fail to mention the “extras” that are part of the job, assuming that the chaplain knows that to teach in one of our schools is to do much more than can ever written in the job description!
Left unattended, such differences in professional expectations can create significant tensions between the chaplain and school.
Supporting Chaplains and Their Professional Growth
Tap the chaplain’s unique gifts.
In addition to leading chapel, teaching religion, or guiding community service, chaplains bring a whole host of unique skills and perspectives that can enrich school life. These include pastoral care and counseling; a deep knowledge of religion, Christian theology, scripture, and church history; the ability to engage people across the lifespan in personal questions of belief, God, and faith; and often experience in social service and domestic or international social justice work that outstrips that of anyone on the school staff.
It is important, then, that the head of school, ECE director, and other school leaders incorporate the chaplain’s professional gifts into the life of the school and be able to articulate the breadth of the chaplain’s role to the wider community. The chaplain should be involved in key conversations, plans, committees, and meetings. In parish day schools, rectors can insure that the chaplain’s role and responsibilities are given ongoing, focused attention.
Make time for pastoral care.
It is good for the chaplain take on regular duties of the faculty so that he or she can be viewed by students, parents, and peers as co-equal and integrally engaged in school life. Chaplains should attend faculty meetings and major school events and participate as fully as possible in school life.
That being said, schools run on schedules and schedules love to be filled. But chaplains cannot offer pastoral care if their schedules are packed to the brim. For a chaplain to provide a pastoral presence, he or she needs to have unstructured time to met with people, engage in conversation, prepare chapel and worship, and respond to needs as they arise.
Each school must arrive at an equitable and appropriate way to shape the chaplain’s duties and schedule. Making time for and communicating the chaplain’s pastoral role are key.
Write a clear, accurate and comprehensive job and develop a framework for compensation.
Because there is no equivalent position to the chaplain in an Episcopal school, and for all of the reasons cited above, the chaplain’s roles and responsibilities should be well defined.
It is not always easy to arrive at a job description that both the school and the chaplain agree is manageable and equitable. Without such a framework, however, misunderstandings and unnecessary tension can arise. Reviewing each chaplain’s job description annually allows for modifications over time.
NAES is contacted regularly for sample job descriptions and compensation guidelines for chaplains. The NAES website library includes a set of sample chaplain’s job descriptions that offer a starting place. Because of the many differences across geographic region, dioceses, school size, school constellation, and roles and responsibilities of the chaplain, however, NAES recommends that schools develop guidelines for the chaplain’s role and that salaries and benefits be benchmarked by identifying a set of similar Episcopal schools and by conferring with the school’s diocese to determine any relevant compensation requirements.
Create a professional growth plan and a professional learning network for school ministry.
It is unlikely if not impossible that every chaplain will be equally proficient in all areas of the position, particularly when a chaplain is new to school ministry. Using the position description as a starting place, chaplains and their school heads and other academic administrators can identify together strengths and areas for growth and then develop an appropriate professional development plan. Skilled and experienced chaplains also benefit from regularized opportunities to take stock, celebrate successes, plan for the future, and engage in ongoing education around school ministry.
Such plans might include mentorship, visiting classrooms of colleagues, completing or leading workshops and conferences, visiting other schools, or pursuing graduate study; and can incorporate any new initiatives that will be led or implemented by the chaplain.
Like other professionals, chaplains need to connect to professional communities of best practice. Attending conferences and workshops, identifying on-line websites and communities, reaching out to other chaplains in similar schools, participating in local or regional chaplain gatherings, and tapping NAES resources are all ways to support the chaplain’s ongoing professional growth.
Develop an evaluation system that takes into account the full depth and breadth of the chaplain’s duties and involvement in school life.
To be sure, the evaluation process for the chaplain should be aligned with that of other professional staff at the school, but it should be modified to attend to the full breadth of the chaplain’s responsibilities. Because school evaluation systems tend to be focused on the teaching faculty, however, there can be a tendency to evaluate the chaplain solely or primarily in terms of his or her classroom teaching.
As we have discussed, the chaplain’s duties go far beyond the religion classroom to embrace chapel and worship, pastoral care, and often community service or service learning, not to mention special programs and responsibilities specific to the chaplaincy. Schools are increasingly moving to evaluation processes that blend self-assessment, goal-setting, and feedback systems as a way to gain a comprehensive view of individual strengths and identify areas to stretch and grow. Such an approach is well-suited to Episcopal school chaplaincy.
While there will need to be a single person who oversees the chaplain’s evaluation, the evaluation process will most likely require input from more than one person and incorporate a variety of ways to solicit feedback.
When Church and School Share the Chaplain
When the rector is the school chaplain, the head of school or ECE director and the rector should have regular conversations about the scope of the rector’s responsibilities as chaplain and articulate these regularly to both parish and school constituents.
When the school chaplain is a member of the parish clergy, it is important for the rector and head of school or ECE Director to be realistic about the chaplain’s duties and responsibilities and to assign such responsibilities as reasonably as possible, taking into account the full range of expectations on the part of parish and school. In a parish day school, the head of school and rector must work together to be sure that each understands what is being asked of the parish’s priest who serves as school chaplain, including strengths and any areas for growth.
In general, the school supervises and evaluates the chaplain in relation to school-based responsibilities, including classroom teaching and efficacy working with students and families, while the rector does the same regarding parish life. Thus, the school should have a process for the supervision, professional growth, and evaluation of the chaplain related to school ministry that meets with the approval of the rector and is understood by the chaplain.
By committing time, effort, and resources to the professional growth of chaplains, Episcopal schools can benefit fully from the powerful presence of those whose calling to school ministry enriches the lives of all who teach, learn, and work in Episcopal schools. In return, chaplains can broaden their ministry and develop new skill sets in teaching, preaching, and serving a diverse community of students, teachers, and parents.