Substitute bait-and-switch

[Anonymous]

I'm a sub who is really sick of accepting a job, only to arrive at the school and be told I'll be doing something else. This has happened to me four times in the last month. Most recently, I signed up to sub for a 3rd grade teacher. Upon arrival, I was told they didn't need me anymore, but would I please monitor the cafeteria for two hours and then report back to the office for further instructions? I was furious, but tried to remain outwardly flexible and friendly, so I did as I was asked. After two miserable hours in the cafeteria, getting to clean up messes and scrub tables while surrounded by ear-splitting decibels, I returned to the office. I was then asked to cover for a couple of different teachers, which had me running back and forth to their classes until dismissal when I was told to help with bus duty.

Schools: when subs accept a job, make sure that you call them to cancel if they're no longer needed. This is not acceptable.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry. I would have left. Cafeteria duty is the worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m sorry. I would have left. Cafeteria duty is the worst.

It really is. It's completely demeaning. I was afraid if I left, they would somehow blacklist me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m sorry. I would have left. Cafeteria duty is the worst.

This is starting to become more and more common. It’s why a few subs I know aren’t subbing anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m sorry. I would have left. Cafeteria duty is the worst.

It really is. It's completely demeaning. I was afraid if I left, they would somehow blacklist me.

That school might but another school would happily take you. We need subs and we need to treat them with respect.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry that happened. Maybe that doesn't happen at all schools. I started subbing at the beginning of October and have always done the job I accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry that happened. Maybe that doesn't happen at all schools. I started subbing at the beginning of October and have always done the job I accepted.

It's only happened a few times, strangely in the past month or so. I had never experienced this before. I won't be going back to the schools where this has happened.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like they found someone else to cover the 3rd grade teacher but needed support to cover teachers going to IEP meetings or other requirements in the school that took them away from their classrooms. I'm sorry, OP. That sounds frustrating. I'm in MS admin and it's been a daily struggle to find coverage for the staff that is out constantly -- we have to beg, then pay, teachers during their planning periods to cover other teachers who are out and have not been able to secure a sub for the day. It's very hard to schedule meetings during the day as well because there's no one to cover the class rooms. That having been said, your ES Admin Ofc should have been more forthcoming with WHY they switched you, at least it might not have been so annoying and now they risk losing you because you don't want to go back into that sort of chaotic environment.

[Anonymous]

This happens at my school all of the time. We have a really hard time getting subs. So, they have to deploy you as a body in the most critical area. Classes get split a lot, too. At my old school we had a lot of local moms who worked as subs and there was always coverage. We have none of that at my current school. My community has a lot of immigrant families and very few have the required college hours to be a sub. If they could sub in their kids school, they definitely would.

[Anonymous]

Happens in my school too. Most of the subs we have will only take a job from the teacher that is guaranteed.

[Anonymous]

I’m all for being flexible and helpful (and I’m a former long term temporary employee and recruiter), but under this scenario (and for the low pay), absolutely not. I’d insist that if I accept an assignment for a specific class/teacher/grade that I am prepared in every way to perform all associated with that job function and not cafeteria and/or dismissal and/or “other duties as assigned.”

I think FCPS is taking advantage of you and other substitutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a sub who is really sick of accepting a job, only to arrive at the school and be told I'll be doing something else. This has happened to me four times in the last month. Most recently, I signed up to sub for a 3rd grade teacher. Upon arrival, I was told they didn't need me anymore, but would I please monitor the cafeteria for two hours and then report back to the office for further instructions? I was furious, but tried to remain outwardly flexible and friendly, so I did as I was asked. After two miserable hours in the cafeteria, getting to clean up messes and scrub tables while surrounded by ear-splitting decibels, I returned to the office. I was then asked to cover for a couple of different teachers, which had me running back and forth to their classes until dismissal when I was told to help with bus duty.

Schools: when subs accept a job, make sure that you call them to cancel if they're no longer needed. This is not acceptable.

Agreed....they do this to their own staff as well. It's not ok. Just another reason why people don't want to work in schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry that happened. Maybe that doesn't happen at all schools. I started subbing at the beginning of October and have always done the job I accepted.

It's only happened a few times, strangely in the past month or so. I had never experienced this before. I won't be going back to the schools where this has happened.

They do this at my school all the time. Sorry that it happened to you. It's a horrible feeling having the rug pulled out from under you all day. It makes me laugh when everyone acts surprised we don't have subs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m sorry. I would have left. Cafeteria duty is the worst.

It really is. It's completely demeaning. I was afraid if I left, they would somehow blacklist me.

Nope they need you.

[Anonymous]

They pay you, right? If they sent you home, would they still pay you? For having showed up in the morning, paid for childcare and cleared your day?

I scrubbed tables, swept, cleaned up, wipes noses, when I volunteered for the PTA (when you organize entire events, sometimes you have to do that). I have two graduate degrees. No work is demeaning.

I think part of the work of a sub is to be placed where the need is, but maybe I'm not fully understanding the situation.