- Full-time teachers are covering additional classes due to a shortage of substitute teachers.
- The city is raising pay rates to attract more substitutes, with certified teachers earning $140 a day and non-certified teachers $115.
- Long-term staffing solutions are being developed to build a pipeline of future full-time teachers. Watch the video above to see what solutions are in the works.
BROADCAST SCRIPT:
With a shortage of substitute teachers, Full-time teachers are filling in.
I'm looking into how this shortage is disrupting the city's school system and the efforts to resolve.
With too few substitute teachers available, Thomasville City Schools are relying on full-time teachers to cover extra classes.
"One of the most stressful times of any day is in the morning whenever you see a teacher is going to be out, and a substitute teacher is not there," said Williams.
Jordan Williams, Chief Academic Officer, explains how this shortage is affecting our teachers and students.
"Then you have to rely on teachers during their planning period, instead gf grading student work, planning for more robust lessons, they're having to go and cover up a class," said Williams.
Laura Davis, a teacher at Berger Elementary for 8 years, says covering for extra classes is not very convenient
"Responsibilities may not be our regular so we don't know as much about it and what's expected but we have to fill it to make sure the day runs smoothly," said Davis
To attract more substitutes, the city is raising the pay rate: $140 a day for certified teachers and $115 for non-certified teachers.
"With the inflation rate, everybody is trying to support their families and when you have to go to work each day and if your salary is not what you think it should be and you could find a career making more money, that's definitely what you would choose to do," said Davis.
Williams tells me the city schools are working on long-term staffing solutions.
"Our goal is to definitely create a system where we're building our own employees and having a pipeline whither it is substitute teachers, to then peer pros to then working with those peer pros to make them full time teachers "
If you are looking to make a difference in the classroom, reach out to Jordan Williams at williamsjo@tcitys.org to get started.
Applications are open year-round.
