Prospective Instructors
Prospective Instructors
If you are interested in becoming one of Credo Academy's instructors, please review the following information and complete the application and class proposal forms (links to these forms are located at the bottom of this page). Please realize that completing an application does not guarantee acceptance as an instructor. The typical instructor acceptance process involves applying and presenting a class proposal form, interview, background/reference review, Credo Academy evaluation, and decision. The application forms need to be submitted by February 15th.
CREDO ACADEMY'S PURPOSE
Our purpose is to strengthen our families by reflecting Biblical standards in our homes and marriages, as established in Ephesians 5:21-33. We are endeavoring to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) through Godly instruction in these four primary areas: spiritual training, character development, academics, and practical life skills. Believing that children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3) and that it is both our privilege and responsibility to train our children in the ways of God, we at Credo Academy are committed to assisting one another with these responsibilities.
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
The purpose of Credo Academy is to provide support and encouragement to the homeschooling family by offering classes that supplement and complement their curriculum. Credo Academy is not a “school” in the traditional sense. We believe that “school” takes place in the home. Our enrichment classes are meant to support families in their homeschool efforts. Credo Academy operates as an umbrella organization, facilitating educational connections between Christian instructors/tutors, and homeschooled students. Credo is a family-friendly environment where families can look forward to healthy social interaction with instructors and peers. Credo Academy provides advertising, classroom space, student screening, and conflict resolution assistance to its approved instructors. Credo Academy interviews the instructor to verify that they have a passion for and expertise in their class offering.
CREATING A CLASS
Credo Academy gives preference in filling studio space to courses that best meet the following criteria:
- The class does not duplicate another class offered by Credo.
- Classes at the high school level include an appropriate amount of work to award credit for student transcripts.
- Academically or physically challenging.
- In Credo Academy classes, a Christian worldview is evident.
If the class you wish to offer does not perfectly meet these criteria, you may still be able to offer it, but preference will be given to those classes which most closely match.
When you complete the application, please provide Credo with a description of your class, your qualifications, and short biography, which Credo will use to publicize your class offering. When describing your class, consider what parents and students need and position it to attract their business. You may advertise your class independently, but instructors are NOT authorized to speak for Credo Academy. Instructors who teach at other institutions are asked not to recruit students out of Credo Academy. The Credo Board of Directors handles the management of policies, procedures, and day-to-day operations.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
1. Independent Contractor Status:
Instructors are independent contractors who set their own prices. For first-year instructors, we encourage you to set your prices and class size requirements competitively to make your class successful. After establishing your reputation, the classes you offer typically grow.
2. Setting Class Sizes, Tuition & Fees:
- Registering with Credo does not guarantee a set salary or number of students. Your proficiency as a teacher and the desirability of your class offerings will determine the income you make. We strongly encourage teachers to develop service, competitive, and real-world application components to their courses to attract students.
- Because instructors at Credo are independent contractors and not employees of Credo, they are free to structure their classes, prerequisites, and tuition to serve their students and their own needs best. Please reference our current class catalog to decide on competitive class tuition and material fee.
- Credo collects only the students' registration fees and the instructors' administration fees. The administration fees are based on a percentage (10%) of your tuition. For example, for a one-hour class costing $100/ semester, Credo will collect $10 per semester per student from each instructor. No registration fee from the instructor will apply when a parent is teaching his own child.
- Registration fees are used to pay for the facilities, advertising, web fees, and other administrative costs. All administrators that serve Credo Academy are volunteers.
- Instructors receive priority registration for their own children because they are the first to enroll. Although this does not guarantee that a class will be available when they register there is a greater likelihood that their children will find classes to attend while they teach. The study hall room is available if you choose not to enroll them in classes while you are teaching.
- You will be expected to provide your class supplies and copies. If you need to collect a class fee for materials, calculate the cost as closely as possible and include the amount on the Course Proposition Form. Please plan carefully as materials and copies are NOT available from Credo Academy or our host facility.
3. Classroom Guidelines:
Please begin five minutes before class dismissal helping children gather their belongings and complete the following:
- Rearrange tables and chairs according to the facilities’ photograph on the wall of the specific room, clean desktops and tabletops.
- Erase the whiteboard.
- Wipe down tables.
- Vacuum room, as needed.
- Set trash outside the door as the need arises during the day and replace the bag (this must be done at end of the day.)
NOTE: Enlist the assistance of your students, encouraging servant attitudes.
4. Facility Details:
We meet on Thursdays at Arapahoe Road Baptist Church, 780 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial, CO 80122 (University & Arapahoe Rd.)
- Rooms will need to be set up by you for the first class of the day and we will work to schedule classes with like set-ups in the same rooms. If you must rearrange the room, please keep in mind that it will take away class time at both ends of the class.
- Please work with one another to allow for smooth and gracious transitions between classes.
- It is important to teach our children to be good stewards of all that God gives us. Please take the time to reinforce this with your students by having them clean the room before they leave for the next class. This small step will bless everyone!
- You must supply your own dry-erase markers and erasers for the whiteboards and HDMI cords (or the like) for your laptop to connect to the classroom TV.
5. Class Outline/Syllabus:
All academic teachers must provide students and parents with a class syllabus before the class starts. The syllabus should be based on a 15-week semester (refer to the academic calendar for pertinent dates). Any changes to the class syllabus should be re-submitted as the semester progresses.
6. Registration for classes is handled through the Credo Registrar:
- Only enrolled children who fit the age guidelines of the class may be in the classroom unless a written exception is granted at the time of registration.
- All new families are interviewed at which time the administrative team determines if we are a fit for their objectives as well as if they are a fit for our culture.
- It is imperative that instructors make no promises to any students about enrollment in any class but instead direct them to the Registrar.
- If a family has a question about the child’s ability to perform in a class, please discuss the issue in terms of “if you can enroll, an exception may be granted.”
7. Communications:
- Credo will be sending updates for instructors primarily by email. We will also have a folder labeled with your name in the crate at the front desk. These folders will be used to allow students or parents to leave information, payments, etc. for you while you are in class.
- A parent memo e-mail is sent out each week. Updates and announcements are included in the email. You will want to keep current. If you do not have an email, you may always review the parent memo on our website as they are also posted there.
- It is your responsibility to check your email and folder for news and communications each week.
- Instructors are expected to respond to inquiries from parents.
8. Grades and Reports:
- Credo requires instructors to give grades or progress reports to their students, the student’s parents, and the instructor liaison at mid-term and at the end of the semester. Descriptive, letter, or numerical grades may be given.
- These grades will be used by the parents to produce transcripts for their children as part of their outside verification of achievement for college admission. Credo does not issue report cards. Your direct evaluation of the students’ work is the only evaluation the student will receive.
9. Conflict Resolution:
As with any organization, conflicts will arise between members. For Credo, there are many possible conflicts between families, teachers, and volunteer leadership. Resolving such conflicts is part of life and essential to maturity, proving an opportunity to glorify God with our thoughts, words, and actions (1 Cor. 10:31).
In the case of peer-to-peer conflicts, student to student, family to teacher, or teacher to teacher, Credo desires that the model of Matthew 18 would provide the process for both parties to solve their differences. First by themselves in a spirit of humility and cooperation. When two members cannot resolve a conflict privately, they will seek the mediation of a Credo volunteer member, or another impartial party within the Credo community and listen humbly to their counsel (Matt. 18:16; Phil. 4:2-3). When informal mediation does not resolve a dispute, they will seek formal assistance from leadership or people they appoint then they will submit to the counsel and correction (Matt. 18:17-20).
If any members have a conflict with or within the Credo Community and cannot resolve it internally through the steps given above, they will submit the matter to mediation and, if necessary, legally binding arbitration, following the Rules of Procedure for Christian Conciliation from Peacemaker Ministry (http://www.crossroadsresolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Rules-of-Procedure-for-Christian-Conciliation.pdf). Any costs that may be incurred as a result of this process will be equitably distributed among the parties at the direction of Peacemakers. Credo Academy will not be responsible for any of these costs unless Credo Academy had been the principal initiator of the complaint. All parties, by signing the student application, renounce recourse to litigation.
In conflicts that are beyond the scope of the personal nature characterized in Matthew 18 (i.e., code of conduct negligence, property damage, subordinate to authority relationship, possession or use of an illegal substance or weapon, etc.), Credo still desires to honor God through humility and Godly wisdom. In these instances, Credo leadership will try to follow many of the principles of Matthew 18 but understands other complexities need to be considered including the relationship between the parties, the severity of the instance, the age of those involved, as well as the different parties (Church staff, authorities, Credo leadership, etc.) that need to be involved in the process. Ultimately, we believe conflict to be an opportunity for change and hope that students, families, teachers, and leadership can show humility and grace to one another during those challenging times.
10. Revocation of Instructor Privileges:
An approved instructor may have his/her Credo Academy privileges revoked by a majority vote of the Credo Academy Board after both the complaint and the defense have been duly presented.
11. To protect the reputations of students and instructors, Credo requires that at no time is the instructor to be alone with a student behind closed doors. This is also an insurance requirement.
12. For everyone's benefit, Credo Academy ("Company") has a policy of conducting sub-contractor background screening reports on applicants as a condition of sub-contractual agreements. This policy is a business requisite that protects everyone by helping to promote a safe and profitable environment. All sub-contractor inquiries are limited to information that affects the subcontractor's performance and the Company. It is conducted by applicable federal and state laws including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). All background checks will be conducted by an outside agency - PDA Investigations at 1610 Hover Street, #200, Longmont, CO 80501 303.442.4882, www.pdainvestigations.com. The background check that is requested by Company provides information obtained from County Criminal Records, National Criminal Database, State Sex Offender Registry, and Identity Development which confirms last known addresses, names, and a social security number trace. Background screening reports will be covered by Credo Academy upon the initial sub-contractual agreement. After three years of service, the background screening report fee of $35*(current rate 2022) will be at the expense of the subcontractor.
Course Proposition Instructions
Instructor Income Summary Worksheet