Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 18:24     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Question, as someone interested in becoming a sub: what are sub plans like? Are they very simple, like, "turn on a vaguely educational video for the period"? Do they get more complex for long term subs? Like, "teach the kids how to factor polynomials," and then cross your fingers and hope your sub actually has some competence in mathematics?

My main memory of subs in my own school days were mostly the former ("watch a video" days) but I did have one excellent sub for comp sci. Heck, he was even better than the actual teacher.


For elementary school, you will be legit teaching, in my experience. Though for math, there is often a video you can play for the main lesson. In MS and HS, I think it’s often just kids doing an assignment independently.


Former elementary teacher (now MS)..it's so much work to write sub plans for elementary and worse for subs (not going to sugarcoat it) You have them all day. If the teacher writes subpar plans, you are responsible for entertaining them all day. Middle and high school (or departmentalized elementary classes)..no brainer. Give them the 45 minutes of work...do the same for each class (differentiate if needed) but for the sub's sake..at least if one class goes wrong, it is only 45 minutes..not the entire day.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 16:55     Subject: Re:As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
This post should be removed because this is 100 percent inaccurate information. MCPS does not require teachers to find their own sub. To the sub who said they have teachers call her, yes, if I like a sub and she does a great job with following the plans and caring for the kids, and keeping the room clean then we may reach out to that specific sub to reserve him or her but it is not a requirement. Shame on OP
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 16:50     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Anonymous wrote:Question, as someone interested in becoming a sub: what are sub plans like? Are they very simple, like, "turn on a vaguely educational video for the period"? Do they get more complex for long term subs? Like, "teach the kids how to factor polynomials," and then cross your fingers and hope your sub actually has some competence in mathematics?

My main memory of subs in my own school days were mostly the former ("watch a video" days) but I did have one excellent sub for comp sci. Heck, he was even better than the actual teacher.


For elementary school, you will be legit teaching, in my experience. Though for math, there is often a video you can play for the main lesson. In MS and HS, I think it’s often just kids doing an assignment independently.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 16:49     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yep. This is why I come into work sick with fever, strep, colds, bronchitis, pneumonia and whatever strikes me at the time. I wear a mask and go to work. Isn't that what they told teachers to do during covid?


You mean during the 2 years you worked from home?


Nice try. It wasn’t even one full year. Educate yourself.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 16:21     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Anonymous wrote:My spouse works for DCPS and says there's a rush to substitute for people during free periods because they pay is decent for an hour of easy work.

I'm sure it's more difficult in elementary, but if you pay teachers to be subs, you will have many takers. What is crappy is forcing teachers to be subs without pay or warning. And forcing teachers to find their own substitutes is crappy too.


I think DCPS pays teachers something like $75 an hour to sub during their planning period. MCPS pays a lot less
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 16:19     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Question, as someone interested in becoming a sub: what are sub plans like? Are they very simple, like, "turn on a vaguely educational video for the period"? Do they get more complex for long term subs? Like, "teach the kids how to factor polynomials," and then cross your fingers and hope your sub actually has some competence in mathematics?

My main memory of subs in my own school days were mostly the former ("watch a video" days) but I did have one excellent sub for comp sci. Heck, he was even better than the actual teacher.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 14:29     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Anonymous wrote:Mcps teacher here. There is an online sub system. You login, create an absence and hope a sub takes the job. Other than writing sub plans, your job is done. I’ve been in the county for a long time and have never been denied leave or been harassed for not having a sub. Is this really a problem countywide?


Correct. Teachers do not have to find their own sub. Submit your leave slip for approval, create the system request, create your sub plans.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 13:19     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yep. This is why I come into work sick with fever, strep, colds, bronchitis, pneumonia and whatever strikes me at the time. I wear a mask and go to work. Isn't that what they told teachers to do during covid?


You mean during the 2 years you worked from home?

Who worked from home for 2 years? Certainly not teachers.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 11:24     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
It depends on the school. I had to find a long term sub when I had to go on FMLA leave last year per my admin. It was so so stressful to do that on top of caring for my very sick son. I definitely damaged my relationship with that school because I was so angry with them. But I don’t care. As soon as the transfer season opened up I left that horrid place. All the admin have changed now but I’m sure it’s still awful.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 11:18     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mcps teacher here. There is an online sub system. You login, create an absence and hope a sub takes the job. Other than writing sub plans, your job is done. I’ve been in the county for a long time and have never been denied leave or been harassed for not having a sub. Is this really a problem countywide?


Do you have to write a sub plan every time you’re out? What happens if you have an emergency or are too sick and don’t have time to write a plan?


Yes we have to have sub plans every day we are out. We also have to have three days of emergency sub plans just in case.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 11:04     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
MCPS policy: you don’t have to do more than put it in the system.
MCPS practice: Wait, you only called or emailed twenty subs? Why didn’t you do more to find a sub?
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 10:51     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Teachers have to do everything they can to find a sub on their own. It is a terrible process.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 10:16     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mcps teacher here. There is an online sub system. You login, create an absence and hope a sub takes the job. Other than writing sub plans, your job is done. I’ve been in the county for a long time and have never been denied leave or been harassed for not having a sub. Is this really a problem countywide?

No but there are a few posters who are obsessed with finding fault. It seems like they resent tpublic schools and are intent on spreading their unhappiness


Yes, teachers do not need to find a sub. The poster clearly doesn't work for MCPS.


I am a sub and have teachers call or email from many different schools, so it does appear to me that teachers need to find subs.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 08:16     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mcps teacher here. There is an online sub system. You login, create an absence and hope a sub takes the job. Other than writing sub plans, your job is done. I’ve been in the county for a long time and have never been denied leave or been harassed for not having a sub. Is this really a problem countywide?

No but there are a few posters who are obsessed with finding fault. It seems like they resent tpublic schools and are intent on spreading their unhappiness


Yes, teachers do not need to find a sub. The poster clearly doesn't work for MCPS.
Anonymous
Post 11/09/2023 07:52     Subject: As a parent and a sub, I feel bad teachers have to find their own substitutes.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mcps teacher here. There is an online sub system. You login, create an absence and hope a sub takes the job. Other than writing sub plans, your job is done. I’ve been in the county for a long time and have never been denied leave or been harassed for not having a sub. Is this really a problem countywide?


And many schools also have a preferred sub list. We would rather contact someone we know is good rather than leave it to chance. If no one on our preferred sub list can do it, we post on the sub system. If that's not picked up, our administrators and secretaries contact systemwide subs or ask people to cover in-house.

It's upsetting that they're such a sub shortage. With all the people on this forum, maybe some of you can sign up to sub!


They need to pay more than $20/hour. It’s insulting and not a living wage. It’s gross that people think this is okay.



Agreed! I would provide coverage in a heartbeat if they paid my hourly rate! Or at least a fair rate. It would be nice to have the extra money without taking on another job. But they would never do that.