Recruiting and retaining substitute teachers still a challenge

By Charles Christian

Recruiting and retaining substitute teachers remains a challenge for the St. Joseph School District.

Although the St. Joseph School District has gained ground in regard to teacher and staff pay in the last year, pay rates for substitutes have remained the same over the last several years, and the need for substitute teachers is still great. Longtime substitute teacher M.J. Clapp said that pay rates, lack of benefits and related factors pose a recruiting challenge for substitute teachers.

“We received a small raise when Edustaff took over as the subcontractor and recruiter for substitutes a few years ago,” Clapp said. “But, there are unfilled positions every day.”

Openings include long-term positions, where substitutes can take on a class for weeks at a time. The pay scale of $115 per day remains the same until after the sixteenth day, when substitutes then receive a $10 per day raise during the rest of that particular long-term assignment.

“Teachers do a great job of preparing their lesson plans and supporting us as substitute teachers,” Clapp said. “That makes our jobs easier. Substitutes can work every day, but there are no benefits, and bonds like this last one that passed don’t often apply to substitute teachers. That seems like a hindrance to recruiting substitutes.”

Dr. Brian Kraus, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the district, said the daily need for substitutes for September was about 68 openings per day. He said that although there are over 1300 potential substitutes on Edustaff’s list of substitutes, this does not mean that every substitute will be available when needs arise.

“Substitute teaching is a hard job,” Kraus said. “It is difficult to come into a classroom full of kids you may or may not know, who are used to a different way of doing things.”

Furthermore, Kraus added that part of the draw of being a substitute, besides a desire to help kids and teachers, is in the schedule flexibility the position offers.

Clapp, who was Substitute Teacher of the Year in 2023, said that like all educators, substitutes are driven by a love for students and teachers.

“Those of us who substitute, along with those who teach full-time, do it for the love of the kids,” Clapp said. “Many of us also have become friends with teachers throughout the district and are happy to do what we can to give them the time off they need.”

However, with the ongoing daily need for substitute teachers in the district, the challenge for the district continues. Clapp added that increases in pay for long-term substitutes may assist the district in this more challenging aspect of the job. Kraus said that it is not unusual for some long-term substitutes to become full-time employees with the district. To apply for a substitute teaching position, go to edustaff.org.