A severe substitute teacher shortage in the Florida school district where Barbara Clyatt works means when the first grade teacher submits for time off, there’s not always someone who can cover. Students can get split up and placed in other classes — which can be disruptive to their education.
“There’s some kids who thrive on a set schedule, it needs to be the same every single day. And when that gets thrown away, the last thing they’re doing is paying attention to what you’re teaching,” said Clyatt.
Substitute teacher shortages, like the broader shortage of teachers, are happening in school districts around the country — and are directly connected.
“The substitute crisis, I believe, has reached crisis proportions, because there’s greater demand than supply,” said Lisa Thomas, a substitute teacher in Connecticut and chair of the Coventry Town Council. “The demand is high because we don’t have the teachers we need.”
the conservative trend of defunding education (and then complaining about education) is to blame.
…cant pay teachers, cant pay infrastructure staff… sure as helll cant pay for what they consider day care workers.
there was a time when subs had to actually be qualified, and were utilized as such. back in the long ago, when the idea of taxes wasnt offensive to half the population.
there was a time when subs had to actually be qualified, and were utilized as such
It’s state by state…
My red state was/is just passing an exam, we had loads of subs who were highschool seniors less than a year ago. Which was especially weird once I got to highschool.
Sometimes it was kids that happened to home from college, but it was often kids who weren’t going to college and just fucking around our small town.
Sometimes they’d put a movie on, sometimes we’d just sit around and bullshit. But I never had a single sub attempt to teach.
That sounds like a recipe for disaster in so many ways…
Red can’t risk having voters become smart enough to vote for their own interests. It’s bad for Republicans
In my state, before Covid sub pay was $100 a day in many districts and a bachelor’s degree was required. My son made more than that at Starbucks after tips.
The state had to lower the bar as far as degree because during Covid the few who were willing to accept this pay had to find other jobs until schools reopened. They didn’t come back. Now schools are still posting sub positions that state that a bachelor’s degree in that subject area is required, a master’s degree is preferred, and the pay is $130 a day. But someone with a high school degree is also paid $130 a day for other sub positions. The expectations are very different for the two positions, but the pay is the same.
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Most school districts don’t pay regular teachers a living wage.
You mean to tell there aren’t a lot of people wanting to a job that only doesn’t pay well but also deprives you of the satisfaction of making any kind of connection with the students you teach or the staff you work with??
What kind of idiot would refuse that job?! /s
Of course there will be people who will take the job, but they’re only going to hang on there until they can find a proper teaching job if you aren’t paying them enough to want to stay!
