For one to think that is the only place politics remains in a school district, inside or outside the doors, has a naive outlook on things. That's offensive to me as a human being.
There is NO problem in looking into any real or perceived political issues in a potential new employer, weather it is a school district or a Fortune 500 company. A teacher that walks into a position needs to know what to expect, and how to navigate in that environment. One must worry about the politics because, quite frankly, the politics are going to be there, they effect how the program is run, and they will crush someone not prepared to deal with it no matter how much they want to be there and want to teach music. Any candidate for a position needs to know as much as they can about the school and locale before they decide to apply for the position, or accept an interview invitation if the school reached out to them. Remember, the candidate interviews the school just as much as the school interviews the candidate; the candidate must go in with their eyes open. If it is OK for a district to ask if a teacher has ever been Non-Renewed, then it is OK for a candidate to research about the district and any potential political landmines; both are trying to find out if this pairing is going to work.
The fact that the OP didn't apply for the position, and the school reached out to them is not relevant. School/town politics may have poisoned the reputation of the district to the point that, while the school may not admit that a problem exists, they know that they have trouble getting very many, or any, people applying for the position on their own volition...so they are trying to cast out as wide a net as possible. It may be--and to the OP: this isn't meant as a slam on you as I don't know you--the school just pulled names from the TMEA or ATSSB pools where people have entered their particulars in order to advertise their availability, and not because someone said, "Hey, check out the OP if you want a good director. They've always had good programs."
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