Looking for ideas about how to help DC school attract subs

[Anonymous]

Our DC public elementary school in Columbia Heights is seeking substitute teachers. We are a large school right by public transport and can guarantee daily work for subs. It is a great fit for people who need flexibility, as they can set their own schedules from 1 to 5 days per week. There are even several long term sub spots to fill for folks going on parental leave.

Where would you post to attract applicants?

[Anonymous]

Assistance with the process for getting cleared as a sub. Lots of qualified people don’t even bother because the paperwork is so involved. Anything the school can do to help (like a Zoom call to walk people through it, or having a staffer or PTA member who is available to troubleshoot) could help get them through it.

[Anonymous]

Better pay.

[Anonymous]

Make clear to them that there will be an aide or whatever to support-- that they won't be on their own all day with kids they don't know.

[Anonymous]

None of the PPs answer the question asked. Those are also not things parents or even schools can offer. What schools even have sides to support subs outside of PK classes? If you want to be helpful, answer the question or at least offer things we can do. Principals can already reasonably expedite hiring of subs but the problems with HR downtown won’t be solved by parents or schools in time to fill empty positions now.

Post in all the parenting groups, list servs, next door, send to local community groups to share on social media.

The truth is it’s a crappy low paying job, teachers have been conditioned to bad subs or no subs so they don’t bother leaving plans, and the kids are a thousand times worse for subs who tend to have zero class management beyond being nice to the kids and expecting them to be nice in return.

[Anonymous]

Find SAH moms with appropriate degrees. That's what our school is relying on and it seems to be going well.

[Anonymous]

The daily work conditions are what matter. Before I got my certification, I subbed. I did not return to schools with out of control students or where I was expected to do emergency coverage as well as the 5 classes I agreed to teach.

[Anonymous]

If you can give them a late start or an early dismissal that would help. Many of these people are parents who have to pick up their own kids and the logistics are hard.

[Anonymous]

Classrooms with technology that works so when a sub has to jump in and doesn't have the teachers laptop they can still use the desktop to do other things. Instead of a desktop that is more of a gigantic paper weight.

[Anonymous]

Hire a subs to work full time at one school. They know they will have a steady paycheck. And they get to know the kids which will make classroom management easier. And pay them at least what an instructional assistant makes.

And in the off chance that a sub isn’t needed that day, I’m sure there are other projects they can help with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can give them a late start or an early dismissal that would help. Many of these people are parents who have to pick up their own kids and the logistics are hard.

Many principals already do this. They are so desperate they will pay you a full day for just a few hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hire a subs to work full time at one school. They know they will have a steady paycheck. And they get to know the kids which will make classroom management easier. And pay them at least what an instructional assistant makes.

And in the off chance that a sub isn’t needed that day, I’m sure there are other projects they can help with.

I think actually subs already make more than aides - which really I make as a comment to them both being ridiculously low.

My school already has 2 dedicated subs but we are so short staffed this year they mostly fill in for what would otherwise be a permanent position. So when someone is sick/bereavement/traveling/appointment there is no one to fill those spots.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure what the education requirements are, so take this for what it's worth:

I majored in Elementary Education in college. My senior year, I signed up to be a substitute teacher on the days when I had no classes. It was perfect for me: work a day a week on average, make some money, add experience to my resume. There was a certain number of years of higher education you needed to have, not a complete degree.

If this could work in DC, I would highly suggest emailing the education departments are various colleges and letting them know about the need.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I'd check with Carlos Rosario school...maybe they have an alumni list they can advertise to. Also Montgomery college and UDC--maybe see if you can talk to folks about to receive their associates' degrees. CentroNia might also have folks who took their classes who'd be interested. The Salvation Army has a building in CH called Turning Point--maybe their case workers can advertise subbing to residents who have the right educational qualifications.

Maybe lobby DCPS to allow people who have completed the first 2 years of a 4-year college program to sub, since people with associates' degrees can?

And yes, handhold for the paperwork. Heck, have a PTA member sit down with prospective subs and fill out the paperwork for them and shepherd them through the process.

[Anonymous]

There are still 79 teacher vacancies and 89 para vacancies…
People are less willing to come into schools. Unless you have children with no behavioral issues, no overcrowding, they can come and go as they please, AND you show lots off appreciation daily it’s likely you won’t be getting subs….