Long term sub not teaching much

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe speak to the grade level administrator— to ask if LT subs are provided with lesson plans, and how the school provides support to the students and to the sub when / if the lesson plans run out.

It's a subject where each year builds on previous. I would do this, but am afraid it might come across wrong. I would want it to be a way to get more support for the sub, but could backfire. If I knew the admin well I'd say something, but some admins instantly turn on the teacher and it is a nice person who the kids like and there is some teaching going on.

Ok. Then would it make sense to speak directly with the sub and ask what sort of support from parents might be helpful — and might not be?

My thought is that it’s possible that there are other teachers who could share lesson plans, lesson plans from a previous year, or some way to get a bit of help for the teacher — and that a parent with suggestions might get more attention than a sub. I appreciate your concerns though, and take them very seriously.

I only know elementary school teachers personally, but one I know well has a long term sub on her team, and yes, the full time teachers basically share lesson plans at the beginning. But at a certain point, the long term sub needs to respond to his/her own classroom.

Seeing the pay (which is actually a little more than I thought), I would consider taking long term sub jobs in my field (the arts) after I retire from my actual profession. I won't need benefits, and for a subject I know well, I think it might be fun to do.

People who think teaching will be “something fun to do“ when they’re done with their “actual“ professions, have no idea what they’re talking about.

Our school's two most reliable subs are both dads who got out after putting in their 20. One is planning on getting certification, but the other is just enjoying semi-retirement

Got out if where? The military?

20 years of services gets you a lifetime military pension

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a former fcps teacher. I would never long term sub as it is not worth it it. Long term subs today are warm bodies who are incapable of teaching. Fcps gets what they pay for!

Funny, I would totally prefer being a long-term sub to an actual teacher because I could actually focus on teaching, without dealing with all of the BS trainings and paperwork. Lower pay, but more control!

DP. I was a long term sub, and unfortunately this is not the case at all (I thought it would be, which is why I accepted a long term position). You are still expected to plan lessons, grade work, attend meetings and trainings, plan from home, and do report cards - all while being paid peanuts with zero benefits. I realized very fast that this was not going to work for me, and I imagine many others come to that conclusion as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a former fcps teacher. I would never long term sub as it is not worth it it. Long term subs today are warm bodies who are incapable of teaching. Fcps gets what they pay for!

Funny, I would totally prefer being a long-term sub to an actual teacher because I could actually focus on teaching, without dealing with all of the BS trainings and paperwork. Lower pay, but more control!

DP. I was a long term sub, and unfortunately this is not the case at all (I thought it would be, which is why I accepted a long term position). You are still expected to plan lessons, grade work, attend meetings and trainings, plan from home, and do report cards - all while being paid peanuts with zero benefits. I realized very fast that this was not going to work for me, and I imagine many others come to that conclusion as well.

Maybe in past years. This year, you can easily say no or ask how to submit hours worked outside of school time. Either way, you don't have to work for free and they arent in a position to fire you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a former fcps teacher. I would never long term sub as it is not worth it it. Long term subs today are warm bodies who are incapable of teaching. Fcps gets what they pay for!

Funny, I would totally prefer being a long-term sub to an actual teacher because I could actually focus on teaching, without dealing with all of the BS trainings and paperwork. Lower pay, but more control!

DP. I was a long term sub, and unfortunately this is not the case at all (I thought it would be, which is why I accepted a long term position). You are still expected to plan lessons, grade work, attend meetings and trainings, plan from home, and do report cards - all while being paid peanuts with zero benefits. I realized very fast that this was not going to work for me, and I imagine many others come to that conclusion as well.

Maybe in past years. This year, you can easily say no or ask how to submit hours worked outside of school time. Either way, you don't have to work for free and they arent in a position to fire you

How exactly with the long-term sub say no to attending required trainings and completing report cards? If the long-term sub doesn’t do the report cards, who will?

[Anonymous]

DP. I was a long term sub, and unfortunately this is not the case at all (I thought it would be, which is why I accepted a long term position). You are still expected to plan lessons, grade work, attend meetings and trainings, plan from home, and do report cards - all while being paid peanuts with zero benefits. I realized very fast that this was not going to work for me, and I imagine many others come to that conclusion as well.

1000%. Many years ago, long-term subs were paid much better and it drew high-quality people, often who had training or experience in education. The compensation wasn't equal to a teacher's, but it was high enough for people to decide the flexibility of working as a long-term sub made the pay worth it.

When they pay structure changed, all our good long-term subs got jobs as permanent employees or switched to other fields.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a former fcps teacher. I would never long term sub as it is not worth it it. Long term subs today are warm bodies who are incapable of teaching. Fcps gets what they pay for!

Funny, I would totally prefer being a long-term sub to an actual teacher because I could actually focus on teaching, without dealing with all of the BS trainings and paperwork. Lower pay, but more control!

DP. I was a long term sub, and unfortunately this is not the case at all (I thought it would be, which is why I accepted a long term position). You are still expected to plan lessons, grade work, attend meetings and trainings, plan from home, and do report cards - all while being paid peanuts with zero benefits. I realized very fast that this was not going to work for me, and I imagine many others come to that conclusion as well.

Maybe in past years. This year, you can easily say no or ask how to submit hours worked outside of school time. Either way, you don't have to work for free and they arent in a position to fire you

How exactly with the long-term sub say no to attending required trainings and completing report cards? If the long-term sub doesn’t do the report cards, who will?

Hi Principal Smith, Between classroom instruction, covering other classes as instructed, and mandatory trainings, I have not yet been able to complete report cards. Speaking to teachers, it appears that the expectation is that work on these is done after school hours hours, but I wanted to run it by you before I did since I'm hourly and non-exempt and it will likely put me over 40 hours for this week. Please advise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a former fcps teacher. I would never long term sub as it is not worth it it. Long term subs today are warm bodies who are incapable of teaching. Fcps gets what they pay for!

Funny, I would totally prefer being a long-term sub to an actual teacher because I could actually focus on teaching, without dealing with all of the BS trainings and paperwork. Lower pay, but more control!

DP. I was a long term sub, and unfortunately this is not the case at all (I thought it would be, which is why I accepted a long term position). You are still expected to plan lessons, grade work, attend meetings and trainings, plan from home, and do report cards - all while being paid peanuts with zero benefits. I realized very fast that this was not going to work for me, and I imagine many others come to that conclusion as well.

Maybe in past years. This year, you can easily say no or ask how to submit hours worked outside of school time. Either way, you don't have to work for free and they arent in a position to fire you

How exactly with the long-term sub say no to attending required trainings and completing report cards? If the long-term sub doesn’t do the report cards, who will?

Hi Principal Smith, Between classroom instruction, covering other classes as instructed, and mandatory trainings, I have not yet been able to complete report cards. Speaking to teachers, it appears that the expectation is that work on these is done after school hours hours, but I wanted to run it by you before I did since I'm hourly and non-exempt and it will likely put me over 40 hours for this week. Please advise.

Hahahaha, they would advise the sub to fo them during their planning block.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my kids in high school has a long term sub everyone likes, but he seems to have given up teaching. They have lots of catch up days and he stopped posting tests and quizzes. He just tells them the class before and it's random. So frustrating. My daughter loves the class because it's a breeze, but she is going to be so behind when the teacher comes back and has to catch them up. I choose my battles and letting this one slide and just trying to catch her up myself since it's a subject I know well.

Anyone else dealing with a long term sub who barely teachers? usually they have been pretty good.

Yeah, that’s what happens when parents, politicians and administrators drive teachers away from the profession in record numbers.

You’re lucky there’s a sub period.

This. You’re lucky to have a consistent warm body. Many classrooms don’t even have that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe speak to the grade level administrator— to ask if LT subs are provided with lesson plans, and how the school provides support to the students and to the sub when / if the lesson plans run out.

It's a subject where each year builds on previous. I would do this, but am afraid it might come across wrong. I would want it to be a way to get more support for the sub, but could backfire. If I knew the admin well I'd say something, but some admins instantly turn on the teacher and it is a nice person who the kids like and there is some teaching going on.

Ok. Then would it make sense to speak directly with the sub and ask what sort of support from parents might be helpful — and might not be?

My thought is that it’s possible that there are other teachers who could share lesson plans, lesson plans from a previous year, or some way to get a bit of help for the teacher — and that a parent with suggestions might get more attention than a sub. I appreciate your concerns though, and take them very seriously.

I only know elementary school teachers personally, but one I know well has a long term sub on her team, and yes, the full time teachers basically share lesson plans at the beginning. But at a certain point, the long term sub needs to respond to his/her own classroom.

Seeing the pay (which is actually a little more than I thought), I would consider taking long term sub jobs in my field (the arts) after I retire from my actual profession. I won't need benefits, and for a subject I know well, I think it might be fun to do.

People who think teaching will be “something fun to do“ when they’re done with their “actual“ professions, have no idea what they’re talking about.

Our school's two most reliable subs are both dads who got out after putting in their 20. One is planning on getting certification, but the other is just enjoying semi-retirement

Got out if where? The military?

20 years of services gets you a lifetime military pension

Yes, we know, but PP just said they “got out” without saying where they got out of, which is why people are asking if it’s the military.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a former fcps teacher. I would never long term sub as it is not worth it it. Long term subs today are warm bodies who are incapable of teaching. Fcps gets what they pay for!

Funny, I would totally prefer being a long-term sub to an actual teacher because I could actually focus on teaching, without dealing with all of the BS trainings and paperwork. Lower pay, but more control!

DP. I was a long term sub, and unfortunately this is not the case at all (I thought it would be, which is why I accepted a long term position). You are still expected to plan lessons, grade work, attend meetings and trainings, plan from home, and do report cards - all while being paid peanuts with zero benefits. I realized very fast that this was not going to work for me, and I imagine many others come to that conclusion as well.

Maybe in past years. This year, you can easily say no or ask how to submit hours worked outside of school time. Either way, you don't have to work for free and they arent in a position to fire you

That's not at all the impression I got. When I asked the principal if it was appropriate to have a sub - even a long term sub - doing all of the above, she looked at me like I had three heads and then said, "What's not appropriate about it?" So glad I left that place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a former fcps teacher. I would never long term sub as it is not worth it it. Long term subs today are warm bodies who are incapable of teaching. Fcps gets what they pay for!

Funny, I would totally prefer being a long-term sub to an actual teacher because I could actually focus on teaching, without dealing with all of the BS trainings and paperwork. Lower pay, but more control!

DP. I was a long term sub, and unfortunately this is not the case at all (I thought it would be, which is why I accepted a long term position). You are still expected to plan lessons, grade work, attend meetings and trainings, plan from home, and do report cards - all while being paid peanuts with zero benefits. I realized very fast that this was not going to work for me, and I imagine many others come to that conclusion as well.

Maybe in past years. This year, you can easily say no or ask how to submit hours worked outside of school time. Either way, you don't have to work for free and they arent in a position to fire you

How exactly with the long-term sub say no to attending required trainings and completing report cards? If the long-term sub doesn’t do the report cards, who will?

Exactly. The other teachers are only going to pick up the slack so many times before revolting. They shouldn't have to - but neither should the sub. Perhaps one of the admins needs to take over at that point.

[Anonymous]

Isn't there an option for the quarter to say no grade or not available or something?

[Anonymous]

At SLHS last year there was a sub situation with a computer class where they had 4 or 5 by January.

One died before they even started.

[Anonymous]

The job description of a long-term sub includes planning and assessment (which includes report cards) and communication, which includes parent conferences. The problem is that the pay does not reflect the work required to complete those assigned duties, so the applicant pool is unexperienced and unable or unwilling to complete those tasks for the allotted pay.

"Description: Temporary assignment of duties which may include the planning, assessment, instruction, communication, human relations, safety, and management of a classroom or assigned instructional setting."

https://www.fcps.edu/careers/career-opportunities/substitute-teaching-opportunities/long-term-substitute-vacancies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The job description of a long-term sub includes planning and assessment (which includes report cards) and communication, which includes parent conferences. The problem is that the pay does not reflect the work required to complete those assigned duties, so the applicant pool is unexperienced and unable or unwilling to complete those tasks for the allotted pay.

"Description: Temporary assignment of duties which may include the planning, assessment, instruction, communication, human relations, safety, and management of a classroom or assigned instructional setting."

https://www.fcps.edu/careers/career-opportunities/substitute-teaching-opportunities/long-term-substitute-vacancies

I’m a sub. No way would I sign up for something like that unless the pay was greatly increased. Amazing that FCPS doesn’t realize this.