Dive Brief:

• Because the quality of substitute teachers can vary wildly, some districts are now focusing on retaining reliable high-quality substitutes.
• A substitute shortage exists in the United States alongside the more general teacher shortage, and some districts can't recruit enough to lead classrooms in emergencies, resulting in principles and other administrators sometimes doing so themselves.
• Substitute quality is linked to certification policies that take place at both the state and district levels and regulate who can teach, with some requiring bachelor's degrees and others just mandating teaching certificates.

Dive Insight:

According to District Administration, using staffing agencies can help schools find well-trained, higher-quality substitute teachers. Companies like Kelly Educational Staffing, Source4Teachers, and TeacherMatch recruit subs and have a good record for retention.

One detail that makes the substitute shortage more difficult for districts to address is the trend of increasing requirements for such positions. For example, Tacoma Public Schools in Washington state has recently applied more rigor to sub hiring in an attempt to reduce absences and improve teacher quality. So far this year, teacher absences in the district have dropped 7% and unfilled assignments decreased by 78%. 

Brevard Public Schools in Florida has taken another tactic that district leaders may want to pay attention to, adopting a "grow-your-own" strategy previously used to help fill vacancies spurred by teacher shortages. The method is encouraged by groups like Educators Rising. Training local teachers has shown positive results related to retention.

Recommended Reading

District Administration: Quest for stronger subs in schools