Make it easier to become a substitute teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t only suffer from a quantity of subs, but also a severe quality number of them. The process is slow, but criteria is fine. We need more than a warm body.

A sub is really a proctor. You need a warm body with no criminal record.

Disagree, especially for long term subs or people who sub at the elementary level or in special ed. You can't put someone in the room who is going to play on their phone, read the newspaper, or sleep all day. It happens way more than it should. Not surprising in this economy, but I guarantee the people who claim that a warm body is good enough would be livid if their first grader came home and said someone like that was covering their classroom while the teacher was out for a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t only suffer from a quantity of subs, but also a severe quality number of them. The process is slow, but criteria is fine. We need more than a warm body.

A sub is really a proctor. You need a warm body with no criminal record.

This may be “a little more true” for MS and HS than ES. When I taught MS, it was pass out these math worksheets, test, etc. Very few subs could teach the content. In ES, I actually leave lesson plans and activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t only suffer from a quantity of subs, but also a severe quality number of them. The process is slow, but criteria is fine. We need more than a warm body.

A sub is really a proctor. You need a warm body with no criminal record.

Disagree, especially for long term subs or people who sub at the elementary level or in special ed. You can't put someone in the room who is going to play on their phone, read the newspaper, or sleep all day. It happens way more than it should. Not surprising in this economy, but I guarantee the people who claim that a warm body is good enough would be livid if their first grader came home and said someone like that was covering their classroom while the teacher was out for a week.

I don't know. I worked as a monitor in elementary school last year, which meant I didn't have to jump through some of the hoops subs do. I had to handle classroom management. If the kids had been on worksheets instead of laptops it would have been barely harder. In fact it would've been nice not to spend a lot of time going around the room kicking kids off of YouTube.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t only suffer from a quantity of subs, but also a severe quality number of them. The process is slow, but criteria is fine. We need more than a warm body.

A sub is really a proctor. You need a warm body with no criminal record.

Disagree, especially for long term subs or people who sub at the elementary level or in special ed. You can't put someone in the room who is going to play on their phone, read the newspaper, or sleep all day. It happens way more than it should. Not surprising in this economy, but I guarantee the people who claim that a warm body is good enough would be livid if their first grader came home and said someone like that was covering their classroom while the teacher was out for a week.

I don't know. I worked as a monitor in elementary school last year, which meant I didn't have to jump through some of the hoops subs do. I had to handle classroom management. If the kids had been on worksheets instead of laptops it would have been barely harder. In fact it would've been nice not to spend a lot of time going around the room kicking kids off of YouTube.

Parents on this board complained endlessly about their elementary kids being in class with monitors all day, especially in early elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t only suffer from a quantity of subs, but also a severe quality number of them. The process is slow, but criteria is fine. We need more than a warm body.

A sub is really a proctor. You need a warm body with no criminal record.

Disagree, especially for long term subs or people who sub at the elementary level or in special ed. You can't put someone in the room who is going to play on their phone, read the newspaper, or sleep all day. It happens way more than it should. Not surprising in this economy, but I guarantee the people who claim that a warm body is good enough would be livid if their first grader came home and said someone like that was covering their classroom while the teacher was out for a week.

I don't know. I worked as a monitor in elementary school last year, which meant I didn't have to jump through some of the hoops subs do. I had to handle classroom management. If the kids had been on worksheets instead of laptops it would have been barely harder. In fact it would've been nice not to spend a lot of time going around the room kicking kids off of YouTube.

Parents on this board complained endlessly about their elementary kids being in class with monitors all day, especially in early elementary.

That’s why so many just pulled their kids out to homeschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t only suffer from a quantity of subs, but also a severe quality number of them. The process is slow, but criteria is fine. We need more than a warm body.

A sub is really a proctor. You need a warm body with no criminal record.

Disagree, especially for long term subs or people who sub at the elementary level or in special ed. You can't put someone in the room who is going to play on their phone, read the newspaper, or sleep all day. It happens way more than it should. Not surprising in this economy, but I guarantee the people who claim that a warm body is good enough would be livid if their first grader came home and said someone like that was covering their classroom while the teacher was out for a week.

I don't know. I worked as a monitor in elementary school last year, which meant I didn't have to jump through some of the hoops subs do. I had to handle classroom management. If the kids had been on worksheets instead of laptops it would have been barely harder. In fact it would've been nice not to spend a lot of time going around the room kicking kids off of YouTube.

Parents on this board complained endlessly about their elementary kids being in class with monitors all day, especially in early elementary.

What can I say, I just wanted FCPS to open and they weren't going to do it without monitors, so I stepped up. Do I wish the actual teachers (yes, multiple teachers streamed into the class I sat in) would have been there? Of course. But in the case of teachers isolating at home because of Covid they really can't be in the classroom. Triaging with temporary monitors to keep things open probably won't be worse for early elementary than the disruption of going virtual and then going back. At least the kids see their friends and have the same routine as usual. As an early elementary parent as well as former monitor, I'd prefer my kids sit in a room with someone like me passing out worksheets.

[Anonymous]

Totally off-topic, but does anyone here remember having Scott Norwood as a substitute teacher back in the 80s/90s, either before or after he went on to football infamy or afterward?

He was a regular sub at my elementary school, must have been during the off-season, or even before he graduated from JMU, apparently he came back and became a regular sub-post Super Bowl XXV.

Anyway, best sub ever, the boys loved him and so did the girls, I don't think he did much other than sit in the front of the classroom with his feet up on the desk, but we were all safe and looked forward to Mr. Norwood, the cool sub.

[Anonymous]

Is there a limit to how many hours a retired teacher can sub without it affecting their pension?

[Anonymous]

Sub pay sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t only suffer from a quantity of subs, but also a severe quality number of them. The process is slow, but criteria is fine. We need more than a warm body.

A sub is really a proctor. You need a warm body with no criminal record.

Disagree, especially for long term subs or people who sub at the elementary level or in special ed. You can't put someone in the room who is going to play on their phone, read the newspaper, or sleep all day. It happens way more than it should. Not surprising in this economy, but I guarantee the people who claim that a warm body is good enough would be livid if their first grader came home and said someone like that was covering their classroom while the teacher was out for a week.

+1
I have been a sub for K-3 classes and was on my feet trying my best to teach, practically every minute of every day. Those teachers (and subs) are truly working. There is no way you could possibly just sit there. I have always admired teachers, but after subbing, I have a newfound respect for all that they do.

[Anonymous]

Can you just write your own recommendation letter and make up a signature?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you just write your own recommendation letter and make up a signature?

Recommendation letters are completely outdated and inefficient. The best way to do it is to hire someone, see how it works out and make it easier to get rid of people who aren't good. I can get a thousand recommendation letters from people - or have AI write me one - and it won't actually tell you whether I'm going to sit and play on my phone in class or actually be useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a limit to how many hours a retired teacher can sub without it affecting their pension?

Bump

Are there any retired teachers on this thread who has an answer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a limit to how many hours a retired teacher can sub without it affecting their pension?

Bump

Are there any retired teachers on this thread who has an answer?

I don’t believe that this is an issue, but there are certainly a lot of barriers to subbing after retirement. Most retirees do not want to sub every day and only want to sub at their former school/in their former department. The sub office requires subs to work a certain number of days over a period of time. If subs don’t work enough, they get booted. Retirees also have to jump through paperwork hoops to sub, despite being employees several months prior to subbing. Very few recent retirees are coming back to sub.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a limit to how many hours a retired teacher can sub without it affecting their pension?

Bump

Are there any retired teachers on this thread who has an answer?

I don’t believe that this is an issue, but there are certainly a lot of barriers to subbing after retirement. Most retirees do not want to sub every day and only want to sub at their former school/in their former department. The sub office requires subs to work a certain number of days over a period of time. If subs don’t work enough, they get booted. Retirees also have to jump through paperwork hoops to sub, despite being employees several months prior to subbing. Very few recent retirees are coming back to sub.

Thanks. The other things you mentioned are understood. I’m retiring at the end of this school year and want to work doing something part time, so I’m considering subbing. I wouldn’t be concerned about not working enough. I’d be willing to sub at a number of nearby ESs and trying MS or HS would be interesting, at least initially.