Sub shortage affects teachers

SUBSTITUTE SHORTAGE STRAINS TEACHERS

Lack of substitute teachers in FCPS pulls McLean staff from regular duties

LAYLA ZAIDI DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR | POLINA ZUBAREV MANAGING EDITOR

FCPS is facing a county-wide substitute teacher shortage. The drastic shortage of substitutes has resulted in McLean teachers and staff having to cover for each other during planning periods and free time.

It is up to administrative assistant Janea Weber to coordinate coverage for teacher absences when a program for finding substitutes called SmartFind Express does not suffice.

“When a teacher is going to be absent they can put their absence in this computerized system,” Weber said. “The system will automatically call substitutes [with certain subject classifications] and McLean as one of their locations.”

At present, nearly every substitute finds themselves filling in for another absent teacher each class period in addition to the job they signed up for. Yet, a high demand for substitutes remains, forcing teachers to fill in for their colleagues during their planning periods.

“I’ll write the [absent] teachers’ class schedules across this kind of [paper] masterboard, and I just look at all the teachers who don’t have subs,” Weber said. “I go to the department chairs and the administrators to try to reach out and figure out coverage.”

Even with department chairs reaching out to teachers, the shortage has persisted, and there are still several occasions where there are no teachers available to fill classes. For example, on Friday, Sept. 24, the lack of substitutes was so extensive that even administrators had to cover classes.

EVERYBODY’S BEEN REALLY NICE ABOUT IT, BUT IT’S VERY HARD BECAUSE WE’RE SO BUSY WITH OUR PREP TIME.”

- CHRISTINA CARROLL VISUAL ART TEACHER

“I had 18 teachers gone and eight substitutes [that day]. And so what ended up happening was that lots of teachers had to cover for each other,” Weber said. “Mr. Olcott, one of the counselors, actually covered a class. Ms. Beach, who’s a testing coordinator here, also covered a class.”

McLean has worked to combat the overwhelming need for substitutes by hiring three new classroom monitors, who primarily serve to fill in for absent teachers.

“I think that hiring the monitors is huge,” visual art teacher Christina Carroll said. “We’ll have to see how this fall and winter go and if we’ll need more monitors.”

Currently, only 71% of substitute jobs are being filled each day throughout FCPS. Several factors have contributed to both the lack of substitutes available, as well as the increase in teacher absences. Teachers or their family members experiencing COVID-19 symptoms have to stay home. Substitutes may have concerns about being in a densely populated place.

“If I was older or immunodeficient, then maybe I would feel at risk,” new classroom monitor Dominic Davis said. “At the same time, substitutes [and monitors] are constantly moving between classrooms and not just staying in one place, so they come into contact with more students.”

The shortage of substititutes may also be a result of low pay. Currently, the hourly rate for non-retiree short-term substitutes is $14.79. On Oct. 5, the FCPS School Board discussed a potential $2 raise to wages for all types of substitutes due to the shortage.

“It’s better to work at the grocery store, pay-wise,” Weber said. “But the thing is, you have better hours than the grocery store...so it is a pretty good gig for the same pay.”

Most teachers prepare a lesson plan in advance for their absences. However, with COVID-19, more teachers are taking days off unexpectedly, leaving some classes without plans. This not only affects those substituting, but the students as well.

“There have been several times this school year where my teacher is out and doesn’t give us any work for that day,” senior Clare A’Hearn said. “Although it is nice to have a day off, it gets really stressful when they come back and I have to do double the work.”

Teachers use their daily planning period in order to figure out lesson plans and grade assignments. Having to give up this valuable time to sub for other classes can cause teachers an immense amount of stress.

“Everybody’s been really nice about it, but it’s very hard because we’re so busy with our prep time,” Carroll said. “We need that time to do work.”

SUB SPACE — An art class takes a study hall period with a classroom monitor present on Oct. 12. McLean hired three classroom monitors to help with class coverage during the substitute shortage. (Photo by Polina Zubarev)