New Substitute Teacher Program Cuts Costs, Raises Quality

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Johnstown, PA (March 25, 2014) – Each school day up to 10 percent of public school teachers are absent and require substitute teachers to cover their classes. But the Substitute Teaching Institute at Utah State University reports that nearly half of all school districts across the country are faced with a severe shortage of qualified subs to do the job. Low pay and poor job security only add fuel to the shortage.

In March 2014, The Learning Lamp launched the Substitute Teacher Program, a forward-thinking initiative designed to help school districts more effectively recruit, train and manage substitute teachers and aides. The program, which is operating at Windber Area School District and is scheduled to begin at Conemaugh Valley in April, incorporates the use of an industry-leading online platform to manage teacher absences and placement of substitute teachers.

“I think it’s convenient. My generation is tech-savvy, so for me it’s easy to use,” said Marissa Holden, a new substitute teacher at The Learning Lamp and a 2013 graduate of Pitt-Johnstown with a degree in Early Childhood Education. “I like that you can go online and select which jobs you want and mark if you’re available or unavailable on a particular day. It gives you more freedom.”

Automated substitute teacher placement systems are gaining popularity across the country. A half-dozen school districts in Cambria, Somerset and Bedford counties are among thousands of districts nationwide that use this type of resource. Teachers enter their scheduled and emergency days off online or by phone. Substitutes also input their availability and select listed jobs ahead of time or accept teacher requests when they are contacted.

“One of the teachers I met while subbing last week has already sent me a request to sub for her for a couple of days in May,” Holden added.

What new teachers gain in experience and exposure to potential full-time employers, retired teachers gain by being able to return to the classroom as a sub, should they choose to continue to work part-time. Because substitutes are employees of The Learning Lamp and no longer considered school district staff, retired teachers can substitute in a public school without threatening the benefits they receive through the Public School Employees’ Retirement System. The employer distinction also offers school districts a way to comply with health insurance requirements for part-time employees under the Affordable Care Act.

“Eligible employees are covered through The Learning Lamp,” explained Jill DiBuono, programs manager at The Learning Lamp. “The district no longer needs to limit substitute teachers to fewer than 30 hours per week to avoid the added cost of health care coverage or hefty penalties for non-compliance.”

The Learning Lamp’s substitute teacher program also includes a continuous improvement component that raises the quality of subs available to partner districts. The organization provides orientation and ongoing professional development for teachers. Soon, subs will be able to earn higher pay rates based on completion of training hours, as well as be added to districts’ preferred scheduling lists.

Shirley St. Clair started teaching in 1978, stopped to raise a family and has spent the past 20 years working as a substitute. She admittedly had misgivings about how an automated system might interfere with her regular work as a substitute. What she found was greater opportunity, not less.

“I was amazed at the number of days I was able to pick up right off the bat,” St. Clair said. “It just seems so much more organized.”

For more information on The Learning Lamp’s Substitute Teacher Program, call Programs Manager Jill DiBuono at 814-262-0732.