DAVE: I don't know if I have a job over the summer with this particular organization because they haven't told anyone what their summer program is going to be. Non-profits are screwy. At least the ones I've had dealings with.

JIM: You want to talk about screwy? Be glad you are not a Catholic school teacher.

DAVE: More information, please.

JIM: It is hard to explain in detail via email. But I have a friend who is a school teacher in the Philadelphia archdiocese and she recently got "laid off".

Here is how the system works (at last here):
Every year, the Catholic school teachers have to go to this big meeting like an NFL draft. They kind of put all of the jobs in the archdiocese on a board and start with the most senior to least senior teachers and everyone gets to pick what job they want. If someone more senior than you picks your job, then you are shit out of luck. Since my friend has only worked for one year so far, by they time they got to her, her job had already been picked by someone else and there were no jobs left that she qualified for.

They keep telling her not to worry and that by the time school starts on Sept. 1 there will probably be a job for her. But they probably won't be able to notify her about it until August 31.

DAVE: Interesting.

One of my first interviews once I got my teaching certification was at Central Catholic, a virtually perfect job for me as a teacher (not religiously). The Father who interviewed me was pulling the paperwork out of his desk, when he casually asked me, "You ARE Catholic, right?" And with a name like [Dave], I can understand the assumption. For a second, I considered my answer, and then I answered the truth. He put the papers back in his desk and explained to me that they only hire Catholics. I don't know if that is still their policy, but it was back in 1999 or so. If I had gotten that job, my life would have been SO different.

JIM: It is for the best that you told the truth. But you could always convert.

DAVE: I don't want to be Catholic.

JIM: But, by your own admission, think how different your life could be.

DAVE: This is why I stopped emailing with Kengor.

JIM: Come on. You know I'm just messing with you.

DAVE: That's what I assumed. Hence, the Kengor reference. He's probably pulling for Santorum.