FCPS can't find substitutes?? I call BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to understand why FCPS needs so many subs. Can they please stop having training in the middle of the year? Not to mention all the planning that needs other teachers to cover. Garza completely screwed up this county with all the training and planning during the school day. My child's teacher is never there. Every single week some other training. It's ridiculous.

The end of Monday early closing perhaps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS principal here. This is a real problem across the entire county. I'm trying to find good long term sub as well and am struggling. You can do all the legwork to get someone, and then they cancel at the last minute. Or you're just not comfortable with the candidates available in their ability to maintain high quality instruction.

not to mention the low pay for a lot of work

I p/t sub and I'd never take a long-term position. The pay is abysmal. I could make more at Starbucks.

[Anonymous]

I made all my own and my kids' appointments for spring break. My husband asked incredulously why I didn't use some of the large amount of leave time I have. It's because I hate writing sub plans. It literally takes me a couple hours to get things written and set up for a sub. I need to find a better way to do this and start using up some of my leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I made all my own and my kids' appointments for spring break. My husband asked incredulously why I didn't use some of the large amount of leave time I have. It's because I hate writing sub plans. It literally takes me a couple hours to get things written and set up for a sub. I need to find a better way to do this and start using up some of my leave.

Yes. Preparing for a sub can be tough, especially if you want to leave quality lessons. I find I have to cut out some from my typical planning (SmartBoard use, small group instruction) otherwise it just is too difficult to write out for a substitute.

I say try to use some of the leave you have if you can. There is a point at which it just isn’t worth holding onto, especially if you were hired since 2001.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I made all my own and my kids' appointments for spring break. My husband asked incredulously why I didn't use some of the large amount of leave time I have. It's because I hate writing sub plans. It literally takes me a couple hours to get things written and set up for a sub. I need to find a better way to do this and start using up some of my leave.

Yes. Preparing for a sub can be tough, especially if you want to leave quality lessons. I find I have to cut out some from my typical planning (SmartBoard use, small group instruction) otherwise it just is too difficult to write out for a substitute.

I say try to use some of the leave you have if you can. There is a point at which it just isn’t worth holding onto, especially if you were hired since 2001.

I always find that the mess on returning is not worth it--if avoidable.

Nothing worse than leaving complete, detailed plans designed for easy use, and finding that they were ignored.

[Anonymous]

I try SO hard not to be out. I teach algebra--we have a new topic every day of the year, so if I'm out, we are behind. I tried planning test days as absences, but then cheating is rampant. The best I came up with is recording my entire lesson and uploading it to YouTube so the sub just has to hit play. It works okay with honors kids who teach each other if they don't get it, but it's a disaster with my remedial kids.

If I find I have to be out, I've started just cutting stuff from the curriculum. No extensions in units where I have out of the building meetings. It sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I try SO hard not to be out. I teach algebra--we have a new topic every day of the year, so if I'm out, we are behind. I tried planning test days as absences, but then cheating is rampant. The best I came up with is recording my entire lesson and uploading it to YouTube so the sub just has to hit play. It works okay with honors kids who teach each other if they don't get it, but it's a disaster with my remedial kids.

I can’t even do that because subs at my school are no longer allowed to use technology after several incidences with broken/misued computers by subs. I’m not sure why principals aren’t complaining to the region offices about the lack of quality subs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I try SO hard not to be out. I teach algebra--we have a new topic every day of the year, so if I'm out, we are behind. I tried planning test days as absences, but then cheating is rampant. The best I came up with is recording my entire lesson and uploading it to YouTube so the sub just has to hit play. It works okay with honors kids who teach each other if they don't get it, but it's a disaster with my remedial kids.

I can’t even do that because subs at my school are no longer allowed to use technology after several incidences with broken/misued computers by subs. I’m not sure why principals aren’t complaining to the region offices about the lack of quality subs.

I wish principals WOULD complain, because maybe then there would be a decent shot at getting decent pay and attracting a higher caliber of people. I was pulled from my scheduled job last week and placed into a different classroom because they couldn't find a sub. The teacher who'd "reserved" me weeks ahead of time was understandably upset about it, as I know her students well and we'd reviewed the lesson plans before her absence. The sub who showed up in my place arrived very late and did not have a good command of English.

Also, in my opinion the sub orientation should include at least some SmartBoard training and computer rules. I actually wrote this on the feedback form they gave us but I don't think anything has changed.

[Anonymous]

Also, in my opinion the sub orientation should include at least some SmartBoard training and computer rules. I actually wrote this on the feedback form they gave us but I don't think anything has changed.


You really believe someone reads it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I try SO hard not to be out. I teach algebra--we have a new topic every day of the year, so if I'm out, we are behind. I tried planning test days as absences, but then cheating is rampant. The best I came up with is recording my entire lesson and uploading it to YouTube so the sub just has to hit play. It works okay with honors kids who teach each other if they don't get it, but it's a disaster with my remedial kids.

I can’t even do that because subs at my school are no longer allowed to use technology after several incidences with broken/misued computers by subs. I’m not sure why principals aren’t complaining to the region offices about the lack of quality subs.

I wish principals WOULD complain, because maybe then there would be a decent shot at getting decent pay and attracting a higher caliber of people. I was pulled from my scheduled job last week and placed into a different classroom because they couldn't find a sub. The teacher who'd "reserved" me weeks ahead of time was understandably upset about it, as I know her students well and we'd reviewed the lesson plans before her absence. The sub who showed up in my place arrived very late and did not have a good command of English.

Also, in my opinion the sub orientation should include at least some SmartBoard training and computer rules. I actually wrote this on the feedback form they gave us but I don't think anything has changed.

This happens to me all the time. I’m in MCPS. I’ve stopped spending so much time writing sub plans because there’s a very good chance my sub will be pulled for another absence. I teach ESOL, so it’s a matter of essential vs. what they deem non-essential. I have one sub who refuses to take a job other than what she accepted and I try to get her but she’s often booked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Also, in my opinion the sub orientation should include at least some SmartBoard training and computer rules. I actually wrote this on the feedback form they gave us but I don't think anything has changed.


You really believe someone reads it?

PP here. No, I don't think anyone from the sub office read it. It's pretty obvious they--and everyone else at Gatehouse--disregards the feedback they're given re: the sub situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I try SO hard not to be out. I teach algebra--we have a new topic every day of the year, so if I'm out, we are behind. I tried planning test days as absences, but then cheating is rampant. The best I came up with is recording my entire lesson and uploading it to YouTube so the sub just has to hit play. It works okay with honors kids who teach each other if they don't get it, but it's a disaster with my remedial kids.

I can’t even do that because subs at my school are no longer allowed to use technology after several incidences with broken/misued computers by subs. I’m not sure why principals aren’t complaining to the region offices about the lack of quality subs.

I wish principals WOULD complain, because maybe then there would be a decent shot at getting decent pay and attracting a higher caliber of people. I was pulled from my scheduled job last week and placed into a different classroom because they couldn't find a sub. The teacher who'd "reserved" me weeks ahead of time was understandably upset about it, as I know her students well and we'd reviewed the lesson plans before her absence. The sub who showed up in my place arrived very late and did not have a good command of English.

Also, in my opinion the sub orientation should include at least some SmartBoard training and computer rules. I actually wrote this on the feedback form they gave us but I don't think anything has changed.

This happens to me all the time. I’m in MCPS. I’ve stopped spending so much time writing sub plans because there’s a very good chance my sub will be pulled for another absence. I teach ESOL, so it’s a matter of essential vs. what they deem non-essential. I have one sub who refuses to take a job other than what she accepted and I try to get her but she’s often booked.

I am an ESOL teacher in another district and they don't bother getting subs for us since they are barely able to find subs for classroom teachers. It is one perk of the job that I don't have to write sub plans. I do have to provide independent work for my students if I am out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I try SO hard not to be out. I teach algebra--we have a new topic every day of the year, so if I'm out, we are behind. I tried planning test days as absences, but then cheating is rampant. The best I came up with is recording my entire lesson and uploading it to YouTube so the sub just has to hit play. It works okay with honors kids who teach each other if they don't get it, but it's a disaster with my remedial kids.

I can’t even do that because subs at my school are no longer allowed to use technology after several incidences with broken/misued computers by subs. I’m not sure why principals aren’t complaining to the region offices about the lack of quality subs.

Subs in our school are only allowed to use student computers which have YouTube blocked. So frustrating!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think some of the people complaining here should sign up to be subs.

[phone]

NP, so not one of the complainers. I'm seriously thinking about it but... One, the pay isn't great. And two, I've been self-employed for so long that I just find it weird to have to get transcripts from my school for a job. And I need a recommendation from my employer (which is currently me and my last employer was 10+ years ago). And I also need a character reference recommendation, but I usually work by myself and it just seems awkward to ask a client or a friend for a reference. However, as a native English speaker I've got that skill down pretty well, can arrive on-time and sober, and have no problems exactly following a teacher's lesson plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS principal here. This is a real problem across the entire county. I'm trying to find good long term sub as well and am struggling. You can do all the legwork to get someone, and then they cancel at the last minute. Or you're just not comfortable with the candidates available in their ability to maintain high quality instruction.

not to mention the low pay for a lot of work

I p/t sub and I'd never take a long-term position. The pay is abysmal. I could make more at Starbucks.

pp here. You've stated how most subs feel.