As the Omicron variant began spreading, the already understaffed schools in America faced an even bigger challenge. Since the start of the pandemic, many teachers have retired early or switched careers, contributing to the ongoing substitute and teacher shortage. Now, the situation has reached a breaking point as the increasing number of absences leaves schools without enough substitutes.
School systems are desperate and resorting to measures like raising pay and lowering requirements. For example, in Kansas, even an 18-year-old with a high school diploma can apply to become a substitute. Administrators are appealing to parents and college students to consider taking on the role. Overworked teachers are being asked to supervise classrooms during their lunch breaks and conference periods, which they usually utilize for grading, lesson planning, and meetings regarding students with special needs. Other school staff members, such as classroom aides, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, front-office staff, and superintendents, are also being pulled away from their regular duties. Some states, like New Mexico, are considering involving the National Guard, while Oklahoma has offered positions to state employees.
Implicit in these responses is the mistaken belief that being a substitute doesn’t require training or experience, which is far from the truth. Natalie, an experienced substitute teacher in Illinois, expressed her frustration, saying, “It’s insulting. Basically, they’re telling me that anyone off the street can do what I do.” (To protect their jobs, Natalie and the other substitutes and teachers I interviewed preferred to be identified by their first names only.) Unfortunately, this negligent attitude towards substitutes is not new; for years, many schools have treated them more like babysitters than educators.
Even before the pandemic, substitutes were often placed in classrooms without adequate preparation. According to a survey conducted by the EdWeek Research Center in December 2019 and January 2020, approximately half of school-board members and administrators said their districts did not offer professional development opportunities to substitutes. Among the districts that did, only 11% provided classroom-management training, and just 8% covered effective teaching strategies. When I asked Jesi, a parent in Washington State who responded to her child’s school’s call for substitutes, if she had thought about what she would do in front of the classroom, she admitted she hadn’t considered it. Although she feels comfortable with public speaking and believes she is good with kids, she lacks official teaching experience. She said, “I hopefully understand the material. I know that things have changed a lot since I was in school ten years ago.”
According to Amanda von Moos, co-author of “Substantial Classrooms: Redesigning the Substitute Teaching Experience,” many substitutes are not provided with practical information about the school, such as where to go for the bathroom, parking, or lunch. They may be assigned to a specific class, but the assignments can change upon arrival at the school, which Natalie refers to as “job catfishing.” If they’re lucky, the absent teacher may have left a plan, and if they’re luckier still, they might have some knowledge of the subject they’re expected to teach. Nonetheless, they have to connect with students who neither know nor trust them.
Teaching in these conditions is extremely challenging. Some schools, however, never expected substitutes to actually teach. While this may seem like it reduces pressure, it often ends up making the job even harder., The substitutes I spoke with noted that bored students are more likely to cause disruptions than those who are engaged in their assignments. Many substitutes genuinely want to teach, but too often, schools define success as “anything less than chaos,” as von Moos explained.
Nowadays, many schools are unable to meet even that minimal standard. Teachers have described instances of students roaming the hallways or being left unattended in classrooms. Some have mentioned “mega-classes,” where large groups of students whose teachers are absent are gathered in gyms or auditoriums. Rachel, a high school history teacher in Fort Worth, Texas, shared an incident where she was the only adult responsible for about 10 classes, comprising approximately 150 students, in the school gym. Although a P.E. teacher nearby volunteered to assist her, and two other administrators stepped in later, Rachel found herself in charge. Mask mandates are banned in Texas schools, and many students did not have face coverings on. The students were supposed to work on online assignments, but the Wi-Fi connection was unreliable at best. A group of AP statistics students, whose teacher was absent due to COVID, approached Rachel for help understanding the lesson, but she couldn’t offer adequate guidance. (Rachel later contracted COVID herself.) Saundra, another teacher in Texas, encouraged students placed in mega-classes to sit in her classroom. Although she may not always be able to assist with their assignments, she said, “at least I know where they’re at.”
Hopefully, the turmoil will subside as COVID cases decrease, but some problems are likely to persist. Students who miss crucial lessons may face difficulties catching up when their teachers return. Teachers who have experienced burnout for years may ultimately leave the profession altogether. If unsupported substitutes also start quitting, the shortage could worsen, perpetuating the cycle. Natalie expressed, “We’re always told how badly substitutes are needed,” but there is a disconnect between their actual value and how they’re treated. She is considering whether she might be more respected in another field.
Substitute teaching often follows a gig economy model, with substitutes taking jobs at different schools each day. However, the most successful placements are often in schools where substitutes have an ongoing relationship. In these cases, students trust the substitutes, and the teachers who create the substitute plans know what they’re capable of. Investing in more permanent substitute roles, with higher pay, better training, and support from a manager, could greatly benefit both substitutes and students. While some disruption is inevitable during a teacher’s absence, under the right conditions, substitutes can effectively implement lesson plans and keep students engaged. In other words, they can do much more than just babysit.
Note: The article “Substantial Classrooms: Redesigning The Substitute Teaching Experience” by Jill Vialet and Amanda von Moos is available for purchase, and when you do so through a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.
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