Finding substitute teachers is always challenging, but the virus has forced districts to get creative
Aside from health concerns, the COVID-19 pandemic is amplifying an issue many districts already struggled with: finding substitute teachers.
Among local school districts, North Union Superintendent Rich Baird said “we all have the same issues” finding an adequate number of substitute teachers on a normal basis.
Now, he said he is “especially worried” because of uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.
“I always have concerns about the amount of substitutes, every year, but this year I’m even more worried,” Baird said.
If schools experience an outbreak of coronavirus cases, the need for substitutes will be even greater than usual.
However, the substitutes districts normally turn to may be unwilling to teach in a classroom where individuals who tested positive were congregating.
In an effort to combat a shortage of subs, local districts have each formulated plans to fit their needs.
Marysville, Fairbanks, Jonathan Alder and Triad are each hoping to keep a number of teachers in their districts throughout the year to act specifically as substitute teachers when the need arises. North Union instead created a list of subs they will contact as necessary.
Marysville
Marysville has adopted an “all hands on deck” approach to covering for absent teachers this year.
Superintendent Diane Allen said the district is hiring dedicated substitutes for each building to help cover absent teachers throughout the year. Subs for all buildings except one are in place and officials are searching for one to cover the final building.
Allen said the district reached out to a number of retired local teachers to help fill the substitute positions.
The superintendent said the district has also enlisted all non-classroom district personnel, with suitable qualifications, to help cover classes if needs arise. She said even those in the district’s main office are being made ready for classroom duty.
“Many of us will be doing things we have never done before in order to support students during these unusual times,” Allen said.
The superintendent said that finding substitutes during a regular school year is always a challenge. That shortage look to be exacerbated with the prospect of virus related illnesses among the staffs of central Ohio schools.
But when many Franklin County school districts made the decision to open the year under 100% remote learning, the local district saw a glimmer of hope.
Because Marysville obtains substitutes from one large pool under the direction of the Education Services Center of Central Ohio, it often competes for fill-ins with larger districts. With many of those districts having no need of substitutes to start the year, Marysville officials are anticipating better than expected availability, Allen said.
She went on to say that despite aggressive planning to cover for staff shortages potentially created by the virus, there could come a time where the most prudent course of action would be to shut down in-school operations and shift to remote learning. She said the district would work with the Union County Health Department in making such decisions.
She also noted that a shift to remote learning might not impact the entire district. Allen said specific buildings, or even classes, could be shifted to online learning if the need arises.
Fairbanks
Likewise, Fairbanks has gone through the Educational Services Center to hire three “permanent guest teachers.”
“They will be there every day,” Schirg said. “If they are not teaching in a classroom, they will be working with students in other capacities.”
He said officials want to make sure the guest teachers are invested in the district. He added that by having them in the buildings, “they can build relationships with students and build relationships with staff so when they are needed, they can step right in and they won’t be coming in cold, knowing nothing about Fairbanks.”
Schirg said two of the guest teachers are recent grads that applied for jobs. The other is a coach who was also looking for a position.
“This was a way to get them into a building for us and it was steady for them, rather than being in one building today and waiting until tomorrow to see where they would be,” Schirg said.
He said that in addition to helping build relationships, there is another practical reason to have the guest teachers in the building. He said they will go through the same health and safety training as every other staff member.
“ESC is doing a very good job of training people and having them familiar with the steps and precautions that are common in every district, but this allows us to have them familiar specifically with Fairbanks’ protocols,” Schirg said.
He said that each teacher will have a home building — one each in the elementary, middle and high school — but they could be moved into any of the buildings, depending on the need.
Schirg said the district knows this will not cover all teacher absences, but it gives the district a start. He said the district will continue to use ESC for day-to-day absences and the guest teachers will be used more for long-term absences, such as the need for a teacher to quarantine.
Schirg said that while the guest teachers would be in the district each day, they would not be district employees and would be paid through the ESC.
“We are planning for contingencies, but we know there will be contingencies we can’t plan for,” Schirg said. “We think this approach gives us flexibility and the ability to shift quickly so we can meet the needs of our staff, our students and our community.”
Jonathan Alder
In an effort to mitigate the loss of teachers, Jonathan Alder will also have a full-time, permanent substitute at each building.
Assistant Superintendent Misty Swanger said smaller classes and alternating attendance, will lead to a lesser need for classroom and school aids. She said some of those aids will be repurposed as building substitutes. Those individuals will be paid more as substitutes than as aids.
“It is going to cost us a little more,” Swanger said, adding, “but we think it will help us.”
She said there is a district-level administrator working on a program to recruit additional substitute teachers. Swanger explained that Alder, like many districts, has struggled to get substitute teachers. She said she expects that to only get more difficult with COVID-19.
“We are working on creative ways to reach out to different people who may be interested in substitute teaching,” Swanger said.
She said the district will reach out to retired teachers as well as everyone who has applied for a job but was not hired in the district. She said substitute teachers do not need a teaching degree or certificate, only a bachelor’s degree.
“I think you will be surprised how many people in the community would step up and say, ‘I am not doing anything. If you need me, I’ll do it,’” School Board Member Steve Votaw said.
Swanger said the district is also working to provide professional development for those substitute teachers. Part of that professional development will be cleaning protocols.
“They need the same information as all staff,” Swanger said.
Triad
Triad Superintendent Vickie Hoffman said her district also worked to ensure the need for substitute teachers wouldn’t require new people coming in and out of the buildings.
She said the district also hired four, one-year positions for the upcoming school year.
Hoffman said the district specifically sought people with their teaching licenses who hadn’t found a job yet. For that reason, she said the positions were filled by younger teachers and recent college graduates.
Each of the individuals will be “housed” at the high school, middle school or elementary school building, while one will assist with reading objectives and online learning.
Although they will have a building they usually assist at, she said “we can move around if needed.”
North Union
Rather than a group of more permanent substitutes, North Union Superintendent Rich Baird said his district has compiled a list of teachers who will be contacted to fill in when necessary.
He said the district reached out to any substitute teacher that has previously worked at North Union and asked if they would be available during the upcoming school year.
Those who asked to be added to the list of North Union substitutes will receive specialized, COVID-19 training that staff previously received, Baird explained.
He said he hopes most substitutes will have undergone pandemic training by the start of the year on Sept. 8.
While he said he hopes to expand the list of teachers during the year, he said it is difficult to do so because surrounding districts often face similar issues with staffing substitutes.
Baird said there is a posting on the North Union website for those interested in becoming a substitute for the district. He said district officials will also continue to contact potential subs and train those who are added to its list.