Let’s Taco ’bout the substitute teacher crisis
Greeley West office staff, Ms. Tammy Segura and Ms. Lin Arengard sort tacos on Tuesday to be handed out to teachers and subs who covered classes that day.
January 13, 2022
The Covid pandemic was a very challenging time for everyone in the education field, teachers and students alike. But it was a very odd time to be a substitute.
While classes were virtual, there was not as high of a demand for substitutes compared to when classes were all in person. But now that students are back to school and Covid is still alive and well, many teachers and students are required to quarantine when they get sick or exposed, bringing a huge demand for substitutes once again.
The problem: there are no substitutes to fill in.
Substitute teacher Mr. Patrick Shaefer said District 6 is hard up for subs because there are just more opportunities elsewhere. “ It’s not the money for me, I feel like with Covid, people realized they could work from home and still make a living,” Shaefer said. “So a lot of subs left teaching to work digitally in other fields.”
Assistant principal Ms. Amy Zulauf helps manage daily substitute coverage and thinks the issue is bigger than Covid alone. “It’s not just a substitute shortage, it’s a people shortage. This is a deeper problem of a lack of interest and lack of people joining the education field. Substitutes, teachers, bus drivers, and janitorial workers are areas that are lacking workers. It will be interesting to see how the field will look within the next five years,” Zulauf explained
But how can the problem be fixed? Administrators need to get creative. Principal Mr. Jeff Cranson said all industries are in the same boat. “It’s a shortage of labor; everyone is trying to figure out the solution. For schools, people need to step up and help out. But we always try to thank our staff and substitutes, like today we are showing appreciation with a Taco Tuesday.”
Staff members are also paid to cover classes that are not theirs. That pay also impacts teachers willingness to cover. “When we cover, we get paid a hourly rate,” science teacher Mr. Paul Cherry said. “It gets a little frustrating because it takes away time that we have to plan for other classes.”
“The gesture was nice and appreciated,” Cherry continued. “But if we get more pay, it could justify the time we are taking to cover.”
Regardless, the coverage by subs and teachers alike have kept the school open and in person. But how many Taco Tuesdays will it take to solve the work shortage?