Being a substitute teacher is one of the most difficult or possibly the most difficult job in K-12 education. It is one of the reasons that Education Week (10/26/2020) has found that “the Denver Public Schools system which normally has about 1,2000 substitute teachers reported that only 300 were willing to come to work in-person.” But the situation in Denver is not unique. Schools across the nation are reporting difficulty in finding substitutes. A survey conducted by EdWeek Research Center of 2,000 school leaders conducted in January 2020 found that only 54 percent of the respondents were able to fill an estimated 250,000 teacher absences each day and that was before the COVID-19 virus struck. The problem has been a perennial one, made more difficult by the virus. The situation in Denver is so dire that the state of Colorado has waived the requirement of a bachelor’s degree to become a substitute teacher.
What are some of the reasons why? (Based on my research)
- Low salaries
- Lack of respect from students, and other classroom teachers, school administrators
- Unless hired as a “long-term substitute” uncertainty of working every day
- Working on multiple campuses
- With the closing of schools, having to take care of their own children and the cost of daycare
- The fear of catching the virus
- No summer work or pay
- Last minute notifications
- Long commutes
- May be required to teach Special Education without adequate training.
My book Who Will Teach the Children? Recruiting, Retaining & Refreshing Highly Effective Educators (available through Amazon) provides a number of suggestions including the creation of a special license for substitute teachers.