In the battle for religious equality and recognition, Witch School International, Inc. has taken a major step forward by electing its first Chairman and Board of Directors. While seemingly commonplace by most companies, it is a monumental and historic moment for this Pagan dedicated community. This first step allows Wiccans to be recognized as equal members of Corporate America with all the same rights and privileges as any other company, including paying taxes.
The shareholders elected Don Lewis as Chairman of the Board. The other six members elected are Maryann Kaufmann, Windy Lajoie, Anna Rowe, Stephanie Neal, Karla Summers, and Jacqueline DeGraaf. Debbe Tompkins was named president and Virginia Powell is named NFP Liaison Consultant. Together they are running a global company, and one that recognizes the ability of women who are able and ready to lead this business into the future. While many companies claim equality between the sexes, Witch School International, Inc. lives it.
Witch School is considered a very controversial business as its core is educating the public in Wicca, Paganism and Magick. It is consistently generating potential leaders, clergy, and educators who are focused on building local, regional, and national Pagan communities worldwide. This focus has made Witch School a target for protests from Evangelical Christians, which in turn have created equally controversial national news stories over their very right to exist. These protests highlight the fact that Witch School teaches people to become Wiccans in a predominately Christian Society. This battle for equality is one of the most difficult challenges that Chairman Don Lewis and the Board of Directors face.
Yet the greatest challenge faced by Witch School International is not Christian protests, but the demand for Pagan and Wiccan Education. WitchSchool.com was the first public online school but today it has spawned a online industry of more than a hundred alternative religious schools that have copied or been inspired by the Witch School model. Even with this increase in competition the global demand for Pagan and Wiccan education continues to grow at exponential numbers. Meeting the demand of adding an average of one hundred students per day continues to drive Witch School to add bandwidth, new features, and services. Later this year it will be adding translated courses in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and Greek.
What is likely to be the most controversial of all Witch School projects that the Board of Directors will face over the next few years is adding physical campus locations and hosting local school events. Last year, Witch School moved its headquarters from Hoopeston to Rossville, IL, and once again faced a Halloween protest by local Christian Fundamentalists. When Witch School creates new campuses it is anticipated that there will be protests, and the Board of Directors will do everything in its power to avoid them. Ultimately, it is about religious freedom and those who do not believe that religious equality should be extended to non-Christians in the United States and the World.
Witch School International begins its new day as we enter the new year, and we anticipate that they will continue to provide quality public Wiccan and Pagan education that they are famous for. Congratulations to the Chairman and The Board and wish them the best of luck.