Looking for ideas about how to help DC school attract subs

[Anonymous]

Higher pay. I can’t get a babysitter for $16 an hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some companies have a limited number of paid hours available per employee for “community service.” A program that makes it possible for those folks to get certified to sub could soften the low pay issue. I’d happily use my paid CS hours to work in my kid’s classroom for the day but I don’t have a ton of time to devote to jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

This is an interesting idea. Like if a biotech company could screen and TB test employee volunteers to serve as middle and high school science subs. An engineering company could do math, etc.

+1

I really like this idea. I am sure large companies would be happy for the PR boost from such a program and it would allow people who know the content in MS and HS to sub.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some companies have a limited number of paid hours available per employee for “community service.” A program that makes it possible for those folks to get certified to sub could soften the low pay issue. I’d happily use my paid CS hours to work in my kid’s classroom for the day but I don’t have a ton of time to devote to jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

This is an interesting idea. Like if a biotech company could screen and TB test employee volunteers to serve as middle and high school science subs. An engineering company could do math, etc.

+1

I really like this idea. I am sure large companies would be happy for the PR boost from such a program and it would allow people who know the content in MS and HS to sub.

So naive you all are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some companies have a limited number of paid hours available per employee for “community service.” A program that makes it possible for those folks to get certified to sub could soften the low pay issue. I’d happily use my paid CS hours to work in my kid’s classroom for the day but I don’t have a ton of time to devote to jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

This is an interesting idea. Like if a biotech company could screen and TB test employee volunteers to serve as middle and high school science subs. An engineering company could do math, etc.

+1

I really like this idea. I am sure large companies would be happy for the PR boost from such a program and it would allow people who know the content in MS and HS to sub.

This is a terrible idea. When a teacher calls out at 7 am, what company is ok with employees just not showing up? Unless they are consistently missing work to volunteer they will never get any better at being a sub. We don’t need volunteers we need substitutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some companies have a limited number of paid hours available per employee for “community service.” A program that makes it possible for those folks to get certified to sub could soften the low pay issue. I’d happily use my paid CS hours to work in my kid’s classroom for the day but I don’t have a ton of time to devote to jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

This is an interesting idea. Like if a biotech company could screen and TB test employee volunteers to serve as middle and high school science subs. An engineering company could do math, etc.

+1

I really like this idea. I am sure large companies would be happy for the PR boost from such a program and it would allow people who know the content in MS and HS to sub.

This is a terrible idea. When a teacher calls out at 7 am, what company is ok with employees just not showing up? Unless they are consistently missing work to volunteer they will never get any better at being a sub. We don’t need volunteers we need substitutes.

Exactly, and everyone means well and wants to "give back" with their expertise but the reality is that success in the classroom is about 85% classroom management. If you don't have the ability to manage a classroom full of students with competing needs (and are all over with their subject mastery) suddenly the idea of being content expert sub seems not as interesting and definitely not what was expected. It's like charity nobody really wants or needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some companies have a limited number of paid hours available per employee for “community service.” A program that makes it possible for those folks to get certified to sub could soften the low pay issue. I’d happily use my paid CS hours to work in my kid’s classroom for the day but I don’t have a ton of time to devote to jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

This is an interesting idea. Like if a biotech company could screen and TB test employee volunteers to serve as middle and high school science subs. An engineering company could do math, etc.

+1

I really like this idea. I am sure large companies would be happy for the PR boost from such a program and it would allow people who know the content in MS and HS to sub.

This is a terrible idea. When a teacher calls out at 7 am, what company is ok with employees just not showing up? Unless they are consistently missing work to volunteer they will never get any better at being a sub. We don’t need volunteers we need substitutes.

Exactly, and everyone means well and wants to "give back" with their expertise but the reality is that success in the classroom is about 85% classroom management. If you don't have the ability to manage a classroom full of students with competing needs (and are all over with their subject mastery) suddenly the idea of being content expert sub seems not as interesting and definitely not what was expected. It's like charity nobody really wants or needs.

As long as the pay is what it is, charity is the best you've got. I love teachers. I'm married to one. He's underpaid. Every teacher in his school is. So are the subs when they can get them (they can't). A competent non-teaching professional is better than having a teacher covering multiple classes or pulling the reading specialist from their duties to sub for a gen-ed class, because that's how things are currently going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some companies have a limited number of paid hours available per employee for “community service.” A program that makes it possible for those folks to get certified to sub could soften the low pay issue. I’d happily use my paid CS hours to work in my kid’s classroom for the day but I don’t have a ton of time to devote to jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

This is an interesting idea. Like if a biotech company could screen and TB test employee volunteers to serve as middle and high school science subs. An engineering company could do math, etc.

+1

I really like this idea. I am sure large companies would be happy for the PR boost from such a program and it would allow people who know the content in MS and HS to sub.

This is a terrible idea. When a teacher calls out at 7 am, what company is ok with employees just not showing up? Unless they are consistently missing work to volunteer they will never get any better at being a sub. We don’t need volunteers we need substitutes.

Exactly, and everyone means well and wants to "give back" with their expertise but the reality is that success in the classroom is about 85% classroom management. If you don't have the ability to manage a classroom full of students with competing needs (and are all over with their subject mastery) suddenly the idea of being content expert sub seems not as interesting and definitely not what was expected. It's like charity nobody really wants or needs.

As long as the pay is what it is, charity is the best you've got. I love teachers. I'm married to one. He's underpaid. Every teacher in his school is. So are the subs when they can get them (they can't). A competent non-teaching professional is better than having a teacher covering multiple classes or pulling the reading specialist from their duties to sub for a gen-ed class, because that's how things are currently going.

It is better until the "volunteer" is calling the office for help every five minutes or goes back to his bio tech (lol) company to tell everyone what a terrible experience he had. Subbing is hard. I'm a teacher and when I have to cover a class that isn't mine, it's challenging to enforce behaviors and routines.

[Anonymous]

Hire people full time with benefits to be the building sub.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some companies have a limited number of paid hours available per employee for “community service.” A program that makes it possible for those folks to get certified to sub could soften the low pay issue. I’d happily use my paid CS hours to work in my kid’s classroom for the day but I don’t have a ton of time to devote to jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

This is an interesting idea. Like if a biotech company could screen and TB test employee volunteers to serve as middle and high school science subs. An engineering company could do math, etc.

+1

I really like this idea. I am sure large companies would be happy for the PR boost from such a program and it would allow people who know the content in MS and HS to sub.

This is a terrible idea. When a teacher calls out at 7 am, what company is ok with employees just not showing up? Unless they are consistently missing work to volunteer they will never get any better at being a sub. We don’t need volunteers we need substitutes.

Exactly, and everyone means well and wants to "give back" with their expertise but the reality is that success in the classroom is about 85% classroom management. If you don't have the ability to manage a classroom full of students with competing needs (and are all over with their subject mastery) suddenly the idea of being content expert sub seems not as interesting and definitely not what was expected. It's like charity nobody really wants or needs.

As long as the pay is what it is, charity is the best you've got. I love teachers. I'm married to one. He's underpaid. Every teacher in his school is. So are the subs when they can get them (they can't). A competent non-teaching professional is better than having a teacher covering multiple classes or pulling the reading specialist from their duties to sub for a gen-ed class, because that's how things are currently going.

It is better until the "volunteer" is calling the office for help every five minutes or goes back to his bio tech (lol) company to tell everyone what a terrible experience he had. Subbing is hard. I'm a teacher and when I have to cover a class that isn't mine, it's challenging to enforce behaviors and routines.

The key word in the PPs post was “competent”. Being a competent professional XYZ does not necessarily translate to competency in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Not exactly something that will thrill the denizens of this forum, but WTU is working on organizing subs to improve the pay, working conditions, and benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some companies have a limited number of paid hours available per employee for “community service.” A program that makes it possible for those folks to get certified to sub could soften the low pay issue. I’d happily use my paid CS hours to work in my kid’s classroom for the day but I don’t have a ton of time to devote to jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

This is an interesting idea. Like if a biotech company could screen and TB test employee volunteers to serve as middle and high school science subs. An engineering company could do math, etc.

+1

I really like this idea. I am sure large companies would be happy for the PR boost from such a program and it would allow people who know the content in MS and HS to sub.

This is a terrible idea. When a teacher calls out at 7 am, what company is ok with employees just not showing up? Unless they are consistently missing work to volunteer they will never get any better at being a sub. We don’t need volunteers we need substitutes.

Exactly, and everyone means well and wants to "give back" with their expertise but the reality is that success in the classroom is about 85% classroom management. If you don't have the ability to manage a classroom full of students with competing needs (and are all over with their subject mastery) suddenly the idea of being content expert sub seems not as interesting and definitely not what was expected. It's like charity nobody really wants or needs.

As long as the pay is what it is, charity is the best you've got. I love teachers. I'm married to one. He's underpaid. Every teacher in his school is. So are the subs when they can get them (they can't). A competent non-teaching professional is better than having a teacher covering multiple classes or pulling the reading specialist from their duties to sub for a gen-ed class, because that's how things are currently going.

It is better until the "volunteer" is calling the office for help every five minutes or goes back to his bio tech (lol) company to tell everyone what a terrible experience he had. Subbing is hard. I'm a teacher and when I have to cover a class that isn't mine, it's challenging to enforce behaviors and routines.

Look at this point there are very few options. I’d still rather have a ‘naive’ professional as a sub than me who has not had planning periods this whole week to cover other teachers’ classes. Oh well if they keep calling the office, this is not sustainable for teachers and they will keep calling out if this continues.

[Anonymous]

Get rid of IMPACT. Develop a new evaluation instrument that rewards teachers who show up every day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of IMPACT. Develop a new evaluation instrument that rewards teachers who show up every day

What is this medical innovation that keeps teachers and their families from getting sick or needing to go to the doctor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of IMPACT. Develop a new evaluation instrument that rewards teachers who show up every day

What is this medical innovation that keeps teachers and their families from getting sick or needing to go to the doctor?

All the teachers who are going to call out tomorrow are not sick. I would love an IMPACT bump for people who take fewer than a certain number of days off each year. Or a small bonus. Not hurt other teachers but reward those who don’t miss much work. And just to be clear I wouldn’t get the bonus because I have a toddler who is always sick. But I think its a good idea.

[Anonymous]

So, the way to get more subs is pay more, remove children who are disruptive, and flexible scheduling?