No Substitute for Quality - efforts of school districts to hire and retain substitute teachers

School Administrator, Jan, 2001 by Alexander Russo

In addition to across-the-board pay raises, some districts offer retired teachers health insurance coverage instead of pay or create "frequent substitute" programs to reward those who work regularly throughout a school year with slightly higher pay.

Last year, the Boston Public Schools began offering health insurance benefits to substitute teachers who consistently work at least three days a week. To improve coverage at notoriously chaotic middle schools, schools in neighborhoods perceived to be less safe and in fields such as special education, the 21,500-student Racine, Wis., school district is considering a proposal to pay a $15 per day premium to substitutes in exchange for guaranteed availability, "no matter when we call them or where we ask them to go," says Racine's Superintendent Dennis McGoldrick. The Poudre School District in Fort Collins, Colo., serving 23,000 students, already offers $6 per day in extra pay during spring months when demand is highest. In Houston, substitute teachers in high-need specialties have been paid as much as starting teachers, even though they often lack teaching certificates.

However, few school districts find a strong or permanent response to the financial incentives, and not many can afford to pay significantly more. Experience and research conducted by STI suggests that low pay is not always the top factor for substitutes deciding where to teach. In many cases, pay raises seem to be a catch-up measure used when a district's daily rate has fallen behind its neighbors' pay scale. The impact on the number and quality of substitute teachers is modest. "They're really not subbing for the money," says McGoldrick, whose district surveys substitute teachers about their experiences every other year.

In reality, the challenge of enhancing the job's appeal goes much deeper than minor improvements in pay. To address the more fundamental issues that make substituting unattractive, a small but growing number of districts are making a sincere push to improve the substitutes' experiences in classrooms.

"What substitute teachers need most--more even than salary increases--is a sense of well-earned dignity," says human resources administrator Danny DeGuire of Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas.

Places that have implemented "sub-friendly" programs--where substitute teachers have identification badges and access to faculty lounges, permanent teachers regularly leave adequate lesson plans and principals welcome substitutes to their schools--have reduced turnover and improved the continuity of learning for students. "This is really stuff that doesn't cost a lot of money," McGoldrick says (see related story, page 14).

Easing Entry Points

* Strategy 2: Increase the Pool of Potential Substitutes.

In addition to attracting and retaining those already interested in substitute teaching, some districts focus on trying to expand the overall pool of potential substitutes. Increasing the pool can help deal with growing demand and limited availability of substitutes.