the verdicts
SUBSTITUTE SHORTAGE —Substitute teacher Marry Haddad guides juniors Maya Mukherjee and Felix Blanch through a physics assignment. " Substitute teachers do really hard and underappreciated work," Mukherjee said. Photo: Annum Hashmi
Substitute pay should be increased
W
E APPRECIATE the commitment of substitute teachers in filling instructional vacancies following the transition back to in-person school and urge the Palo Alto Unified School District to pay substitutes the same salaries as neighboring districts. The coronavirus pandemic has created health and safety concerns for substitutes, resulting in the number of substitute teachers in the district to decrease from 200 to 111 over the past year, according to Lisa Hickey, the director of certificated human resources for PAUSD. “Subbing is actually twice as hard as teaching,” English teacher Kindel Launer said. “There's tons of job opportunities out there, so why risk your health and your mental health for a community in a society that doesn't value you?” In an effort to attract more substitute teachers, the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District has increased the daily pay for substitutes from $180
6 NOVEMBER 2021
to $225, while PAUSD recently increased Reid. daily pay from $165 to $180, according to “I imagine it's difficult to come into Hickey. a classroom, not knowing anything about As a neighboring district with a higher the kids or the format other than the plan cost of living, PAUSD should match sala- you're given, and having to try and get evries for substitute teachers. erything under control,” Reid said. “I apWhile the job of substitute teachers preciate the flexibility and the willingness a is traditionally unpredictable, recent years lot of subs have.” have required increased adaptability. Students may not recognize the work “Substitutes have to be flexible because substitute teachers take on to assist in their there are so many last-minute assignments education, according to sophomore Anuhswhich substitutes have to take,” substitute ka Junnarkar, teacher Ninel Kushchenko said. “In most “They're [substitutes] overlooked, but cases, we are providthey are really vital ed with guidance, but keep the school Why risk your health to sometimes, maybe it's going,” Junnarkar an emergency subbing, ... for a community in said. we have to go with the Given the crita society that doesn't flow.” ical role substitute Verde believes sub- value you?” teachers play in our stitute teachers have a education, we urge — KINDEL LAUNER, English teacher challenging role in the PAUSD to raise the classroom and their pay of substitute contributions are critical to each class's suc- teachers to be equivalent to other school cess, as supported by sophomore Roxanna districts. v
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