Teacher absences

[Anonymous]

Anyone who is good at being a sub gets hired as a permanent teacher if they want it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, it doesn't happen in private. If the math teacher is out, other math faculty will cover the class for the rest of the week and there will be a math-specific sub in place the following Monday and (if needed) a long-term hire in the works immediately. There is never any lag in instruction and this is what you pay for.

-DCPS and Sidwell parent.

We have always gotten a math sub in DCPS for a long term absence (which only happened due to grand jury duty). DCPS likely has a much bigger pool of subs than private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who is good at being a sub gets hired as a permanent teacher if they want it.

Not true for various reasons. Also, some of us don't want to be permanent teachers but like to contribute in a flexible manner. DCPS does not target those people - think retirees, college students with flexible schedules...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DCPS middle schooler has had weeks without a math teacher - first in 6th and now again in 8th. Can someone explain why this happens? Does it happen in private school?

Former DC private school teacher here. No it does not, because as teachers we are expected to sub for each other's classes. So it's a completely different pool (current faculty vs DCPS subs). We did have free periods so maybe more flexibility to do this.

Also, I taught for 5 years and no one ever quit mid year. The one time a teacher left was because they committed a crime and then were fired. Leaving mid year is verboten because you know you are screwing over students and your fellow faculty.

[Anonymous]

I’ve had two kids go through DCPS, and here’s what we experienced:

No permanent math teacher for the first six weeks of MS math because the school simply couldn’t find one to hire. Class was covered by subs and the department chair. Eventually a very strong teacher was assigned, but they were not new. Not sure how they managed that.

Chronic, sometimes lengthy, absences by an HS science teacher, which seemed related to ongoing health issues. The teacher was not strong so I’m not sure their absence really mattered in terms of instruction/outcomes.

Sudden major health issue for a (non-STEM) teacher early in the year, leading to the teacher’s departure. Was replaced with sub who had relevant subject experience and was effective.

The only time I communicated my concern to the school was the middle school math situation, which as I noted did have a positive resolution. My impression is that other parents were similarly active. So in some instances (thoughtful, non-aggressive) parent advocacy can be helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DCPS middle schooler has had weeks without a math teacher - first in 6th and now again in 8th. Can someone explain why this happens? Does it happen in private school?

Former DC private school teacher here. No it does not, because as teachers we are expected to sub for each other's classes. So it's a completely different pool (current faculty vs DCPS subs). We did have free periods so maybe more flexibility to do this.

Also, I taught for 5 years and no one ever quit mid year. The one time a teacher left was because they committed a crime and then were fired. Leaving mid year is verboten because you know you are screwing over students and your fellow faculty.

DCPS parent here- one of my kid's just had a teacher quit over Christmas break. Another kid of mine at the same school had a teacher quit at the beginning of the school year, which is why I am familiar with the time it takes to hire a new teacher and then the onboarding process. And yes, it does kind of suck, especially because we were relying on one of these teachers for a recommendation for another school, but it is what it is at this point.

[Anonymous]

Definitely a plus for schools with co-teaching models. The class sizes are bigger so it's not ideal for one teacher to have 35-40 students solo, but at least there's some stability and less need for teachers to create sub plans, etc.

[Anonymous]

Teachers resign all the time and it can take awhile to find a replacement especially having to get through the red tape of it all.

During the government shutdown I was a sub for a core subject for three weeks as it was taking a while for the new hire to come onboard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DCPS middle schooler has had weeks without a math teacher - first in 6th and now again in 8th. Can someone explain why this happens? Does it happen in private school?

Former DC private school teacher here. No it does not, because as teachers we are expected to sub for each other's classes. So it's a completely different pool (current faculty vs DCPS subs). We did have free periods so maybe more flexibility to do this.

Also, I taught for 5 years and no one ever quit mid year. The one time a teacher left was because they committed a crime and then were fired. Leaving mid year is verboten because you know you are screwing over students and your fellow faculty.

DCPS parent here- one of my kid's just had a teacher quit over Christmas break. Another kid of mine at the same school had a teacher quit at the beginning of the school year, which is why I am familiar with the time it takes to hire a new teacher and then the onboarding process. And yes, it does kind of suck, especially because we were relying on one of these teachers for a recommendation for another school, but it is what it is at this point.

You can reach out to the 7th grade teacher of that same subject for the rec; the schools should accept that in this situation.

[Anonymous]

DCPS is completely to blame because of the paltry wage they pay subs and their apparent conception of subs as babysitters. Other issues could matter, but with the pathetic investment in filling sub roles is the dominant issue.

Our ES kept a short list of subs on call and proactively had one or two ready for every day. They would use them for other things as available. No idea how they worked this into the budget!

I would sub if the pay were closer to experienced teacher rates rather than minimum wage. No way am I foing it for current DCPS rates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS doesn’t do separate contracts for long term subs so the school is stuck with the regular sub pool to cover long term absences. And subs are not paid well or have any job security so it is really hard to cover a longer medical absence or maternity leave well. —DCPS teacher

True, but now they have positions in the school’s budget for long term subs. Mine has 3 permanent ones and 4 contracted out extra.

-Another DCPS teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS doesn’t do separate contracts for long term subs so the school is stuck with the regular sub pool to cover long term absences. And subs are not paid well or have any job security so it is really hard to cover a longer medical absence or maternity leave well. —DCPS teacher

True, but now they have positions in the school’s budget for long term subs. Mine has 3 permanent ones and 4 contracted out extra.

-Another DCPS teacher

Interesting. I am a DCPS teacher and our administration swears up and down they can’t have permanent subs anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS doesn’t do separate contracts for long term subs so the school is stuck with the regular sub pool to cover long term absences. And subs are not paid well or have any job security so it is really hard to cover a longer medical absence or maternity leave well. —DCPS teacher

True, but now they have positions in the school’s budget for long term subs. Mine has 3 permanent ones and 4 contracted out extra.

-Another DCPS teacher

Interesting. I am a DCPS teacher and our administration swears up and down they can’t have permanent subs anymore.

So do the schools I sub at

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DCPS middle schooler has had weeks without a math teacher - first in 6th and now again in 8th. Can someone explain why this happens? Does it happen in private school?

Former DC private school teacher here. No it does not, because as teachers we are expected to sub for each other's classes. So it's a completely different pool (current faculty vs DCPS subs). We did have free periods so maybe more flexibility to do this.

Also, I taught for 5 years and no one ever quit mid year. The one time a teacher left was because they committed a crime and then were fired. Leaving mid year is verboten because you know you are screwing over students and your fellow faculty.

DCPS parent here- one of my kid's just had a teacher quit over Christmas break. Another kid of mine at the same school had a teacher quit at the beginning of the school year, which is why I am familiar with the time it takes to hire a new teacher and then the onboarding process. And yes, it does kind of suck, especially because we were relying on one of these teachers for a recommendation for another school, but it is what it is at this point.

You can reach out to the 7th grade teacher of that same subject for the rec; the schools should accept that in this situation.

Thank you. It was actually the 7th grade teacher who my child had a very close relationship with that left. The current 8th grade teacher is doing the recommendation now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DCPS middle schooler has had weeks without a math teacher - first in 6th and now again in 8th. Can someone explain why this happens? Does it happen in private school?

Former DC private school teacher here. No it does not, because as teachers we are expected to sub for each other's classes. So it's a completely different pool (current faculty vs DCPS subs). We did have free periods so maybe more flexibility to do this.

Also, I taught for 5 years and no one ever quit mid year. The one time a teacher left was because they committed a crime and then were fired. Leaving mid year is verboten because you know you are screwing over students and your fellow faculty.

I think this differs school to school. I've been at my non-religious and expensive private school for years now. Every single year we have at least one teacher leave mid year. It's unclear who has been fired and who has quit. It took 2 months to get a new science teacher. The other high school teachers subbed but they don't have science backgrounds, so who knows how it went. We had a middle school learning specialist ("special Ed" lite) leave and she was not replaced until the following year. Two other teachers came incredibly close to quitting their first year at the school, one due to horrific behavior, the other due to being asked to teach trig, and calculus during the same class period. So yeah, it happens, a lot. Catholic schools I've known of see it all the time.