How Illinois Is Finding More Substitute Teachers
Illinois is addressing it's substitute teacher shortage by hiring and training short-term educators all in the same day.
Regular teachers aren’t the only instructors in hot commodity these days. Earlier this year, Education Week reported that nearly every district around the nation reported struggles in keeping enough substitute teachers on hand. Many states have already concocted some interesting ways to address the substitute teacher shortage. Illinois has had no break in suffering from the deficits, and they are one state looking at desperate measures to fill the void.
NPR’s Peter Medlin conducted a deep dive into the teacher crisis in the State of Illinois. Like nearly every other state, the teacher and substitute teacher shortage is so vast that state leaders have been seen addressing the issue nearly every day. In his report, Medlin talked with various education leaders and determined that The Prairie State is pursuing extreme measures to attract new employees. Many districts are now holding one-day online training crash courses before sending substitutes into schools. Oftentimes, these teachers are hired, trained, and then sent into classrooms the very next day.
The caveat with this controversial ruling isn’t merely because it deals with substitutes. In many instances, regular substitutes are used as a fill-in where needed basis. This means that they are typically filling into classes on one-day needs before heading to the next place. Short-term subs work much differently. These jobs tend to come with more job requirements, as these teachers tend to fill in for an extended period of time to cover things like maternity leave. While the situation may be dire within the substitute teacher shortage, it is undoubtedly controversial to perform such quick hires for a semi-permanent position.
Medlin spoke with Mark Kleisner who is in charge of the group West 40. The organization services schools in districts surrounding Chicago, and is being helmed with the initiative to quick-hire the new employees. To point out how alarming the substitute teacher shortage in Chicago is, he noted hearing about social workers filling in schools as English teachers. He said that districts feel that they have no other choice.
The process to be hired by West 40 as a short-term sub is similar to many basic jobs where potential employees can walk in unemployed and walk out with a brand new job. Kleisner said that potential candidates pay $50 to obtain their license, get a background check, go through the online training course, and can be in the classroom the very next day. Depending on the school, the subs can make anywhere from $100 to over $200 per day. It is one-way schools can combat the substitute teacher shortage crisis, but it is nonetheless concerning to many parents and educators.
Desiree Carver-Thomas, a researcher and policy analyst at the Learning Policy Institute said that lowering the barrier to addressing the substitute teacher shortage could lead down a slippery slope. She referenced how concerning it is considering the declining student rate of success. “It’s certainly a huge concern, especially when you hear stories of students who’ve had, you know, a rotating cast of substitute teachers all year in their math class. It begs the question of, you know, how much learning can really happen when the person in the classroom, you know, may not have subject matter competency?” Thomas said.
But on the other hand, Illinois’s policy regarding the substitute teacher shortage is ample in comparison to some states. NPR reported that substitute teachers aren’t required to go through any training at all in certain states. To this notion, it is better to have an abled body running classrooms than to have them shutter their doors altogether.
The initiative is controversial, but the alternative options could be much worse. Illinois isn’t the only state to come up with creative ways to combat the substitute teacher shortage. Earlier this school year, New Mexico called on the National Guard to relieve schools. Its volunteer members were sent into classrooms to run classes. In Oregon, a temporary ruling allowed substitute teachers to forego obtaining a degree to teach in classrooms. There is no denying the shortage is a threat, and it will be interesting to see if things change next school year.
