Make it easier to become a substitute teacher

[Anonymous]

^ you're too lazy to get a recommendation and go online to get a transcript, but FCPS should think you're the perfect sub? GTHO.

[Anonymous]

" oh look at me. I'm better than those dumb esl people so I don't need my transcripts or a recommendation. I'm so SPECIAL."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:" oh look at me. I'm better than those dumb esl people so I don't need my transcripts or a recommendation. I'm so SPECIAL."

+1, I hope they don’t apply. So annoying. These are the subs that teachers hate to work with, “I’m the best, blah, blah, blah…”. I’d rather work with the nice one with limited English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always ask for a letter of reference when I leave a job. Am I the only one?

Reference has to be less that 12 months old and signed in ink (not auto-signed.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:" oh look at me. I'm better than those dumb esl people so I don't need my transcripts or a recommendation. I'm so SPECIAL."

A reference doesn't tell you anything about the quality of the candidate. Hold a Sub day and meet the candidates in person. Put out a call to anyone in the community willing to help. Remember, last year absolutely anyone who could breathe was recruited this way to sit in classrooms while teachers worked from home. Do this again for subs. Maybe FCPS doesn't want Subs so they can have a reason to close again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:" oh look at me. I'm better than those dumb esl people so I don't need my transcripts or a recommendation. I'm so SPECIAL."

A reference doesn't tell you anything about the quality of the candidate. Hold a Sub day and meet the candidates in person. Put out a call to anyone in the community willing to help. Remember, last year absolutely anyone who could breathe was recruited this way to sit in classrooms while teachers worked from home. Do this again for subs. Maybe FCPS doesn't want Subs so they can have a reason to close again.

I don’t disagree that references aren’t necessarily useful, but everyone is acting like this is some shocking, stringent requirement. It’s been required for every job I’ve ever held (excepting my first one scooping ice cream).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:" oh look at me. I'm better than those dumb esl people so I don't need my transcripts or a recommendation. I'm so SPECIAL."

A reference doesn't tell you anything about the quality of the candidate. Hold a Sub day and meet the candidates in person. Put out a call to anyone in the community willing to help. Remember, last year absolutely anyone who could breathe was recruited this way to sit in classrooms while teachers worked from home. Do this again for subs. Maybe FCPS doesn't want Subs so they can have a reason to close again.

I don’t disagree that references aren’t necessarily useful, but everyone is acting like this is some shocking, stringent requirement. It’s been required for every job I’ve ever held (excepting my first one scooping ice cream).

Were your previous jobs actively recruiting stay at home parents?

[Anonymous]

Why does everybody always act so put out by the recommendation letters? When they asked for mine I told them I haven’t worked in a while so I would give them two personal recs instead and they could not have cared less. Are people actually asking/trying, or are they just seeing the requirement and figuring it’s a lost cause?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:" oh look at me. I'm better than those dumb esl people so I don't need my transcripts or a recommendation. I'm so SPECIAL."

A reference doesn't tell you anything about the quality of the candidate. Hold a Sub day and meet the candidates in person. Put out a call to anyone in the community willing to help. Remember, last year absolutely anyone who could breathe was recruited this way to sit in classrooms while teachers worked from home. Do this again for subs. Maybe FCPS doesn't want Subs so they can have a reason to close again.

I don’t disagree that references aren’t necessarily useful, but everyone is acting like this is some shocking, stringent requirement. It’s been required for every job I’ve ever held (excepting my first one scooping ice cream).

Were your previous jobs actively recruiting stay at home parents?

Why do you think SAHPs should be exempt from basic requirements just because they are being recruited? Presumably, they worked at some point and can get a reference from a previous employer. If they haven't worked and can't get that letter, they may not be a good fit. You all seem to believe that the act of parenting and staying home is enough to qualify you. I know several SAHMs who are or have subbed over the years. Somehow, they managed to pull the necessary s%t together to get the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does everybody always act so put out by the recommendation letters? When they asked for mine I told them I haven’t worked in a while so I would give them two personal recs instead and they could not have cared less. Are people actually asking/trying, or are they just seeing the requirement and figuring it’s a lost cause?

Probably B, and good--screening out lazy folks who can't make an effort. The kind of people who end up on FCPS's sub roll, but only want to sub at their kid's schools...as if that is the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everybody always act so put out by the recommendation letters? When they asked for mine I told them I haven’t worked in a while so I would give them two personal recs instead and they could not have cared less. Are people actually asking/trying, or are they just seeing the requirement and figuring it’s a lost cause?

Probably B, and good--screening out lazy folks who can't make an effort. The kind of people who end up on FCPS's sub roll, but only want to sub at their kid's schools...as if that is the job.

Because it's an unnecessary obstacle to keeping schools open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everybody always act so put out by the recommendation letters? When they asked for mine I told them I haven’t worked in a while so I would give them two personal recs instead and they could not have cared less. Are people actually asking/trying, or are they just seeing the requirement and figuring it’s a lost cause?

Probably B, and good--screening out lazy folks who can't make an effort. The kind of people who end up on FCPS's sub roll, but only want to sub at their kid's schools...as if that is the job.

Because it's an unnecessary obstacle to keeping schools open.

It takes time to get a recommendation, for one. The schools are saying they urgently need subs but the process to apply can take weeks. Make it easier for parents to sub - only during the pandemic - and you will find a lot of willing people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everybody always act so put out by the recommendation letters? When they asked for mine I told them I haven’t worked in a while so I would give them two personal recs instead and they could not have cared less. Are people actually asking/trying, or are they just seeing the requirement and figuring it’s a lost cause?

Probably B, and good--screening out lazy folks who can't make an effort. The kind of people who end up on FCPS's sub roll, but only want to sub at their kid's schools...as if that is the job.

Because it's an unnecessary obstacle to keeping schools open.

How does the system decide who the capable and safe SAHPs are versus the unsafe ones? They can't, not really, but a recommendation lettter is the very lowest level firewall.Your only argument can't be "keep schools open at any cost," even if that cost is cutting corners on who is spending time with our kids. And the system SHOULDN'T do it because you know very well you get one abusive SAHP in there who didn't have a recommendation or the right documents, and parents, including me, would be screaming bloody murder that the school system didn't meet the very basic LOW requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everybody always act so put out by the recommendation letters? When they asked for mine I told them I haven’t worked in a while so I would give them two personal recs instead and they could not have cared less. Are people actually asking/trying, or are they just seeing the requirement and figuring it’s a lost cause?

Probably B, and good--screening out lazy folks who can't make an effort. The kind of people who end up on FCPS's sub roll, but only want to sub at their kid's schools...as if that is the job.

Because it's an unnecessary obstacle to keeping schools open.

It takes time to get a recommendation, for one. The schools are saying they urgently need subs but the process to apply can take weeks. Make it easier for parents to sub - only during the pandemic - and you will find a lot of willing people.

Sorry it takes time, but if you want the job, make the freaking effort. Are you more concerned about kids and schooling or just having a place for them to go...because if you will let any person in there because you want schools to stay open, what are you actually gaining?

High school, middle school maybe a bad sub here or there not a big deal. But at elementary when they are with the same teacher every day, all day. NO. It matters.

DO you actually care ab

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:" oh look at me. I'm better than those dumb esl people so I don't need my transcripts or a recommendation. I'm so SPECIAL."

A reference doesn't tell you anything about the quality of the candidate. Hold a Sub day and meet the candidates in person. Put out a call to anyone in the community willing to help. Remember, last year absolutely anyone who could breathe was recruited this way to sit in classrooms while teachers worked from home. Do this again for subs. Maybe FCPS doesn't want Subs so they can have a reason to close again.

They want subs, but not enough to pay to attract people who are actually qualified. They've figured out they can save a bundle of money by volun-telling teachers and support staff to cover during their break and planning times instead of paying subs. That's crappy for the employees but it does work reasonably well for individual schools when there aren't a bunch of people absent. Even better, it allows FCPS to say there's no need to raise sub pay because they have 90% fill rates, leaving out the part about those jobs being covered mostly in house. FCPS and other districts will see in the next few weeks why this has never been a good or sustainable plan.