Tomorrows Teachers: Substitute Teaching

Ask the Expert

Are you thinking about substituting? If you are, you may want to check out a new NEA report, Substitute Teachers: A Nationwide Study. Tomorrow’s Teachers asked NEA Teaching and Learning’s Sylvia Seidel to tell us more about the study, and explain why both student members and new teachers should care about its findings.

Why did NEA conduct this study, and what is in it? The study reports information collected from local and state affiliates and state departments of education on the status of substitute teaching in public schools. It also highlights innovations that have alleviated substitute shortages, presents data on substitute teacher pay and utilization, and summarizes state credentialing, licensing, and training requirements.

We conducted the study as a direct result of two new business items that were passed by members at the 1998 and 1999 NEA Representative Assemblies.

What are some highlights?

The study revealed many issues, including the tremendous variation in both pay and training requirements for substitute teachers across the country. Because each school district hires its own substitutes, pay ranges between $40 and $142 a day. Most substitutes are paid on the lower end of the scale––some would qualify for federal food stamps if they had to depend exclusively on their per diem teaching income.

The research also confirmed that there’s a severe shortage of substitute teachers across the country. Because of this, more than half the states have waived requirements and lowered standards. In some places it takes only a high school diploma and a background check to become a substitute. I know of a high school physics class where the substitute had only his GED. He knew nothing about physics, and yet he was expected to teach those students. Situations like that are more common than we think, and it’s an injustice to children.

How do these findings affect student teachers?

I know many teachers who got their start substituting because it provides an opportunity to hone skills, to be part of a learning community, and to see what actually happens in classrooms and schools.

But something that surfaced from the research raises great concerns. We found many districts are circumventing teacher contracts by hiring long-term substitutes instead—including recent graduates. In essence, this means some new teachers are being taken advantage of. They are doing all of the work as a regular teacher yet they aren’t getting paid at the certified teacher rate. They also don’t receive benefits or pro-fessional development opportunities. We have enough new teachers who leave the profession. Without adequate pay, equal rights, or respect, that number will grow.

Students who are planning to substitute should read the report to get a realistic, validated understanding of what they could face.

Why is this an issue all educators should be concerned with?

For a long time, we thought of subbing as simply a holding station until the teacher returned. But it’s not that way anymore. Today, substitutes are in our classrooms for long stretches of time because of the tremendous teacher shortage. And fewer than 10 percent of school districts offer any kind of basic substitute training, which means there are lots of substitutes out there who have absolutely no experience. We need to reassess how this impacts our children.