This episode is frustrating to watch. The idea is interesting and it's certainly worth exploring on a television show. But there are several fundamental flaws with the way the story is written, to the point where the implausibilities almost mute the sincere message about tolerance and acceptance that is intended by the author(s).
One major problem is that all the teachers know they have signed on to work at a school that is run by a pastor. It would be very naive of them not to think Christianity would be the norm in this particular environment. Christian sensibilities would already inform the school's policies and overall mission statement, even before the board clarified the language on such policies. Also, I sincerely doubt the teachers could be forced out mid-year, as they would be under a contract for the duration of the current academic calendar.
There are other problems. When several of them walk off, in what amounts to a strike, we have scenes where Jonathan, Mark and the pastor visit classrooms without teachers. There is no way this would be allowed to happen. Parent volunteers and other substitutes would be there helping, until the new teachers arrived; and the kids would be put into other rooms with the teachers that hadn't walked off. Or else the board would temporarily close the school until a deal could be reached to get all the teachers back on the job.
I think the scene where some of them decided to walk off was very unrealistic. While most staff members would sympathize with the non-Christian teachers being given an ultimatum, they would not just support them blindly for the sake of principle. They have bills to pay, spouses who would tell them to keep working, etc. So while the issue about non-Christian teachers working in a Christian school is an interesting one to examine on a program of this nature, the way it was done in this episode seems fairly contrived and almost undermines the good intentions that Landon and his scriptwriter had in mind.
I do have to say there is some good comic relief where Mark makes faces with a kid on the playground and goofs around with some of the others. Victor French was born to do that kind of stuff, and it's fun to watch. It's too bad the rest of the episode wasn't as great.
One major problem is that all the teachers know they have signed on to work at a school that is run by a pastor. It would be very naive of them not to think Christianity would be the norm in this particular environment. Christian sensibilities would already inform the school's policies and overall mission statement, even before the board clarified the language on such policies. Also, I sincerely doubt the teachers could be forced out mid-year, as they would be under a contract for the duration of the current academic calendar.
There are other problems. When several of them walk off, in what amounts to a strike, we have scenes where Jonathan, Mark and the pastor visit classrooms without teachers. There is no way this would be allowed to happen. Parent volunteers and other substitutes would be there helping, until the new teachers arrived; and the kids would be put into other rooms with the teachers that hadn't walked off. Or else the board would temporarily close the school until a deal could be reached to get all the teachers back on the job.
I think the scene where some of them decided to walk off was very unrealistic. While most staff members would sympathize with the non-Christian teachers being given an ultimatum, they would not just support them blindly for the sake of principle. They have bills to pay, spouses who would tell them to keep working, etc. So while the issue about non-Christian teachers working in a Christian school is an interesting one to examine on a program of this nature, the way it was done in this episode seems fairly contrived and almost undermines the good intentions that Landon and his scriptwriter had in mind.
I do have to say there is some good comic relief where Mark makes faces with a kid on the playground and goofs around with some of the others. Victor French was born to do that kind of stuff, and it's fun to watch. It's too bad the rest of the episode wasn't as great.