Anonymous
Post 09/24/2023 23:29     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Off to an impressive start! After filling out myriad on line forms, sending transcripts, and getting references sent, I followed their instructions to call to schedule a sub orientation. A specific phone number was given.
After 40 minutes on hold, I hung up.


This is what happens when a school system stops paying attention to the basics. We've seen this across the board with FCPS in recent years.

We absolutely have to find some new School Board members who are (1) going to focus on basic operations, not the political cause of the hour or their personal pet projects; and (2) ready to buy out Dr. Reid's contract and find someone who does more than spout banal slogans about how "all things are possible" and instead knows how to manage a large school system.



3) teach some good old reading, writing and arithmetic and 4) Pay teachers a decent salary from the gigantic budget and give them the support they need to teach our kids.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2023 23:06     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is "bait and switch by the front office" mean?



It means that you accept a sub position with a 1st grade class but when you arrive at the school, they send you to another class. I would refuse anything but the one I accepted. Their response will tell you all you need to know about whether you want to be a sub there.


This happened to my cousin's child's class last year multiple times. They were an "easy" level 4 classroom. The teacher would be out, the school would get a sub for the class, but the sub would be sent elsewhere in the building and cousin's kid and classmates were divided up and sent to sit in the halls outside the other 5th grade classrooms on their laptops. There wasn't room inside the classrooms, so they had to sit in the hall on the floor all day. She complained after the third time but the school actually denied it and said she must have misunderstood what her kid told her and that the idea was ridiculous. Then her child messaged her a photo of her classmates and her sitting on the floor in the hall, for the fourth time. She went to the principal supervisor but didn't get any kind of satisfactory answer.


Oh, I would be so pissed if my kid sat in a hall all day at school once, but four times?!?!


+1
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2023 20:45     Subject: Re:What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
Anonymous wrote:As a sub who has a degree in education and worked in the field, I see it as hit or miss. There are some great schools in FCPS- ES, MS, HS. There are schools that will be so happy to have you. You will feel appreciated. Stay with them. I will say the great ones for subbing are middle and high schools.

Sadly, there are other schools- so many are ES- with that "mean girls" vibe. A lot of the women ES teachers are so snotty. If you sub in a school like that, and it's just one day, focus on the students. You may have to give out busy work, but you can take five minute brain breaks to stretch. Make relationships with them through any small way. Giving praise helps. Avoid the meanie teachers at recess by watching the students engage in play. Sure, you'll have to correct them if they are breaking safety rules, but if everything is good in that arena, make chit chat with kids on the swings. Solely focusing on the students AND NOT the cliquey-clucky group of hens will save your sanity. (Oh, and I've experienced the hens not watching the kids play. They stood in a circle and chatted about

As much as ES kids need subs, if subs aren't supported in a particular building, it's not going to happen for them. So be careful with elementary schools.


+100
Wow, did you capture the experience at certain schools perfectly! If I was a teacher, I would make a point to introduce myself to anyone subbing in my grade, as well as bring them into the "group" of chatting teachers at recess. I have felt like such an outsider before - yes, I know I could go up and introduce myself to them, but honestly, it's like a group of mean girls freezing you out at some places. There is no effort to include you in conversation or even ask how your day is going. It's like they simply don't want to be bothered. I generally don't return to those schools.

Of course, I have (on occasion) also experienced lovely teachers who are very friendly and kind and include the sub(s) at recess. I met a couple of really wonderful teachers who helped me get through a long-term sub position last year. Sadly, those ladies are few and far between.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2023 12:25     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:About a week ago they decided to renew the 50+ days and high-volume day bonuses.

https://www.fcps.edu/careers/career-opportunities/substitute-teaching#:~:text=For%20each%20milestone%2C%20you%20will,%24300%20bonus%20will%20be%20paid.


What's the 50 days+ incentive? (Sorry, new FCPS sub)


For substitutes who work 50 substitute jobs within a school year, a $200 bonus will be paid.

If you go to that link you’ll see “If you work more, earn a bonus”. Open that up and you’ll see the different bonus benchmarks.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2023 11:14     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
Anonymous wrote:About a week ago they decided to renew the 50+ days and high-volume day bonuses.

https://www.fcps.edu/careers/career-opportunities/substitute-teaching#:~:text=For%20each%20milestone%2C%20you%20will,%24300%20bonus%20will%20be%20paid.


What's the 50 days+ incentive? (Sorry, new FCPS sub)
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2023 09:08     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
About a week ago they decided to renew the 50+ days and high-volume day bonuses.

https://www.fcps.edu/careers/career-opportunities/substitute-teaching#:~:text=For%20each%20milestone%2C%20you%20will,%24300%20bonus%20will%20be%20paid.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2023 08:19     Subject: Re:What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
As a sub who has a degree in education and worked in the field, I see it as hit or miss. There are some great schools in FCPS- ES, MS, HS. There are schools that will be so happy to have you. You will feel appreciated. Stay with them. I will say the great ones for subbing are middle and high schools.

Sadly, there are other schools- so many are ES- with that "mean girls" vibe. A lot of the women ES teachers are so snotty. If you sub in a school like that, and it's just one day, focus on the students. You may have to give out busy work, but you can take five minute brain breaks to stretch. Make relationships with them through any small way. Giving praise helps. Avoid the meanie teachers at recess by watching the students engage in play. Sure, you'll have to correct them if they are breaking safety rules, but if everything is good in that arena, make chit chat with kids on the swings. Solely focusing on the students AND NOT the cliquey-clucky group of hens will save your sanity. (Oh, and I've experienced the hens not watching the kids play. They stood in a circle and chatted about

As much as ES kids need subs, if subs aren't supported in a particular building, it's not going to happen for them. So be careful with elementary schools.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 09:08     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
Anonymous wrote:If you completed the onboarding the email shoukd arrive promptly. Check spam and call.


Thanks. I did receive an email right away that read: You have completed the first part of our Onboarding process. Your next step is to schedule an appointment to visit the Department of Human Resources to complete a fingerprinting criminal background check and present documents for verification of your eligibility to work in the United States.

You will receive an email invitation to schedule an appointment online.

I don’t see an additional email, so I’ll give them a call.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2023 23:15     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
If you completed the onboarding the email shoukd arrive promptly. Check spam and call.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2023 18:50     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
Anonymous wrote:At an onboarding meeting they said they expect to have the high pay days again but it wasn’t officially announced yet.

Also read somewhere sub pay was going up slightly, but it was unclear if that was only for retired teachers or any subs.

To answer a previous poster, they email a link to make a fingerprinting appointment. 


That would be great!

You are probably referencing my post. I did receive an email the third week of July letting me know I’d get a link. Do you have an idea about how long it takes to get that email? I figure I’ll wait until the end of August and if I don’t hear anything I’ll call. I know they are busy.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2023 18:05     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
At an onboarding meeting they said they expect to have the high pay days again but it wasn’t officially announced yet.

Also read somewhere sub pay was going up slightly, but it was unclear if that was only for retired teachers or any subs.

To answer a previous poster, they email a link to make a fingerprinting appointment. 
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2023 18:17     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
Anonymous wrote:So out of curiosity I just did a SmartFind Express search for all locations, all positions starting 8/21 - 8/31

There are 221 openings throughout the County for substitutes
28 HS
26MS
160 ES

Of those openings
54 PHT Asst/attendants
26 Special Education Teachers
101 Instructional Assistants
4 Learning Disabled Teachers

I know my local elementary has at least four openings for special education and have been assigned regional support to fill the gap

I am trying to come on board full-time with FCPS in another capacity from subbing and it's been five weeks working with the HR specialist. I have no hope of starting until after Labor Day so I may take a sub job in the interim


I also checked just out of curiosity and couldn't believe the amount of SPED vacancies.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2023 10:21     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You can make more money as an FCPS bus driver.
They start at $24 an hour. Subs start at $19.


Well, additional training and licensing is needed. Once individuals have that license, they can easily move onto another driving position that pays much more (outside of FCPS).

They also work less hours than substitute teachers.


True.
One thing that is appealing about substitute teaching is you aren’t locked into a schedule.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2023 08:25     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
Anonymous wrote:You can make more money as an FCPS bus driver.
They start at $24 an hour. Subs start at $19.


Well, additional training and licensing is needed. Once individuals have that license, they can easily move onto another driving position that pays much more (outside of FCPS).

They also work less hours than substitute teachers.
Anonymous
Post 08/20/2023 08:17     Subject: What are your overall experiences working as a substitute teacher within FCPS
You can make more money as an FCPS bus driver.
They start at $24 an hour. Subs start at $19.