Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pay is definitely too low. I suspect the people arguing otherwise have never worked as a sub. If $19 per hour were "about right", there would not be so many vacancies every single day.

+1, if it was so great, there would be a surplus.

It's a mindless, no commitment job, with no outside work (emailing parents, meetings, grading, lesson plans, etc).

What other job(s) are mindless, no commitment, and no work-related stuff outside of 8am-3pm?
The $18/hr is fine

I subbed for a few months, and I can assure you, it’s not mindless. Any time you’re working with kids, but especially a large group of kids, you have to be “on” every second. You need to deliver the lesson, manage behaviors, help students with problems, etc.

+1. Those who say it’s mindless, don’t understand the responsibilities at all.

+2
Being a sub was one of the most stressful, thankless jobs I have ever had. I don’t know how teachers do it.

This!

Anonymous wrote:I can make $18/hr working at a local tutoring center where I can set my own schedule. Why would I want to make the same amount of money for more headaches? Or as a driving adult with children out of the house, I'm sure I could make $18/hr as an after school nanny. If I needed full time work, I'm sure I could make $18/hr caring for an infant.

I just don't understand the substitute payscale model. How can the school system realistically expect people to want to do this job if there are easier gigs elsewhere for the same amount of money.

This is also why teachers are leaving...it's a ridiculous job for the money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pay is definitely too low. I suspect the people arguing otherwise have never worked as a sub. If $19 per hour were "about right", there would not be so many vacancies every single day.

+1, if it was so great, there would be a surplus.

It's a mindless, no commitment job, with no outside work (emailing parents, meetings, grading, lesson plans, etc).

What other job(s) are mindless, no commitment, and no work-related stuff outside of 8am-3pm?
The $18/hr is fine

I subbed for a few months, and I can assure you, it’s not mindless. Any time you’re working with kids, but especially a large group of kids, you have to be “on” every second. You need to deliver the lesson, manage behaviors, help students with problems, etc.

+1. Those who say it’s mindless, don’t understand the responsibilities at all.

+2
Being a sub was one of the most stressful, thankless jobs I have ever had. I don’t know how teachers do it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pay is definitely too low. I suspect the people arguing otherwise have never worked as a sub. If $19 per hour were "about right", there would not be so many vacancies every single day.

+1, if it was so great, there would be a surplus.

It's a mindless, no commitment job, with no outside work (emailing parents, meetings, grading, lesson plans, etc).

What other job(s) are mindless, no commitment, and no work-related stuff outside of 8am-3pm?
The $18/hr is fine

I subbed for a few months, and I can assure you, it’s not mindless. Any time you’re working with kids, but especially a large group of kids, you have to be “on” every second. You need to deliver the lesson, manage behaviors, help students with problems, etc.

+1. Those who say it’s mindless, don’t understand the responsibilities at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pay is definitely too low. I suspect the people arguing otherwise have never worked as a sub. If $19 per hour were "about right", there would not be so many vacancies every single day.

+1, if it was so great, there would be a surplus.

It's a mindless, no commitment job, with no outside work (emailing parents, meetings, grading, lesson plans, etc).

What other job(s) are mindless, no commitment, and no work-related stuff outside of 8am-3pm?
The $18/hr is fine

I subbed for a few months, and I can assure you, it’s not mindless. Any time you’re working with kids, but especially a large group of kids, you have to be “on” every second. You need to deliver the lesson, manage behaviors, help students with problems, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they could somehow organize, substitute teaching seems prime for some type of work action to force a raise in pay. Substitutes can choose when and where they want to work. Imagine if the majority didn’t accept jobs for a week or organized something like not working the third Monday of every month.

This is a good idea.

Seriously. It's not even calling in sick or walking out. It's just not taking a job like you would on any other day you choose not to sub, but if a lot did it all on the same day, and did it again, imagine the affect that would have.

I get paid more dog walking, house sitting, babysitting, and tutoring - all
With a flexible schedule and I can pick and choose who I work with. No behavior issues, no violence, no bullying. Healthy work environments.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they could somehow organize, substitute teaching seems prime for some type of work action to force a raise in pay. Substitutes can choose when and where they want to work. Imagine if the majority didn’t accept jobs for a week or organized something like not working the third Monday of every month.

This is a good idea.

Subs could form a union. They'd have to pay dues and attend meetings and there's a lot of time and effort involved in forming one. But they could do it. I know a lot of districts try and hire retired teachers and pay them a higher (sometimes much higher) rate.

What kills me is that districts know how hard it is to get subs and how destructive it is to try and run schools without them. You'd think they'd totally pony up. One midwestern city offers a ton of incentives: With a teaching degree you get $180 a day. Sub on a Monday or Friday? $30 additional dollars. Sub in a sped room? Additional $45. Sub in a high needs school where no one else wants to go? Additional $30. Sub at least 12 days a month? A $400 a month stipend. Oh and all these things can be stacked. When I quit a terrible teaching job mid year, I subbed in this city. I only took jobs where I could stack all of the above. I made good money for a sub. No meetings, no parents, no state demands, no grading or planning, no dealing with student behavior other than the day to day (so no tracking behavior, implementing behavior plans, etc), no spending my own money.

I found a job in a high end private school so I don't sub anymore, but if comparable money is available when I retire, I will absolutely do it.

Anonymous wrote:If they could somehow organize, substitute teaching seems prime for some type of work action to force a raise in pay. Substitutes can choose when and where they want to work. Imagine if the majority didn’t accept jobs for a week or organized something like not working the third Monday of every month.

This is a good idea.

Anonymous wrote:Nineteen is TERRIBLE low paying for a teacher, even if only a substitute one.

That is the main reason I chose to become a bus driver instead, even though I have a college education and I genuinely like to work with children.

School bus driving had the same “benefits” I wanted (time off when my kids are off, summer off, and flexibility), but the pay is much better when compared to subs.

Pp again: also, if I need to, I can bring my own children on the bus with me, so I don’t need to worry and spend $$ with sitters or before/after care.

Nineteen is TERRIBLE low paying for a teacher, even if only a substitute one.

That is the main reason I chose to become a bus driver instead, even though I have a college education and I genuinely like to work with children.

School bus driving had the same “benefits” I wanted (time off when my kids are off, summer off, and flexibility), but the pay is much better when compared to subs.