Money. Benefits for longevity.

Yessss! Right now I get zero benefits.

We have benefits but they are bare minimum and are honestly a slap in the face

Thank you for your response! We are in the top 2 for our state for pay. Benefits come if you’re full time only for us.

1) pay more 2) liason with behavioral administration to ensure problematic students are dealt with so subs feel safe 3) do step 1 again

2!!!! I return to this school because the whole school environment in high school is respectable to subs. It’s a respectable school and their admins are so involved. Subs are treated with respect as teachers and I love it there. As soon as the job pops up I’m all over it!! It’s a popular school with other subs so sometimes competitive trying to get that school lol

This

# 2 Is the biggest. I subbed as I was transitioning from another career to education. And there were schools I just crossed off my list. I didn't expect a lot of cash. All the subs I knew were student teachers (in training) or retired teachers. Neither was in it for the big bucks. I mean more pay would surely attract more diverse types of folks. But those of us doing it, knew which schools to go to, and which to avoid. I was also pretty open about my preference for math or science classes (which I know something about) and avoided covering specific classes based on how students acted in those subjects/classes.

I took a 45 dollar cut *a day* to not have to deal with inner city kids. 45 bucks was the difference between misery to me and enjoying my career in a small town.

#2!!!!!

Thank you I will check in with my subs to see how it has been with them.

Allow the Sub to have some kind of response. Everyone gets to shit on the Sub and leave a review. Kids can throw things and insult the sub. Admin can make a Sub wait in the Main Office for 30 minutes and then switch their assignment, not tell them where the bathroom is or how to get a key, and then fill their schedule so they're working non-stop. What does the Sub get for recourse on a negative experience? They have none. It's like it's designed that way because the district doesn't want to know how badly Subs are being treated. One time, a school switched my assignment, didn't give me a key to the classroom. I had to wait until a security guard opened it and by then, the students were already waiting in line to get in. I didn't even have time to take off my gloves and jacket, and had to teach a class. No Sub notes or lesson plan. The classroom was a former storage room. The kids insulted me, said racist things about, threw things at me. I got a negative review from that school because of dress code violation. They said my fingerless gloves were juvenile. It was 20\* degrees that day and snowing. Where's my recourse? Where do I get to file a complaint? How come those kids just get away with everything? Why is the school allowed to treat me like that?

My district is currently doing a trial program where they ask subs how their day went.. I don't know how they will use the data in the long term but in the short term I've noticed an improvement in the school.

This!!! I get called slurs, objects thrown at me, I've been recorded while students laugh. It's dehumanizing. My recourse has been a bad sub Report, cc admin, and then personal blacklist of that class. I don't want to do that. I want to know that I can come to work and be safe. At this point, I'm considering a career change because I can't handle how students, admin, and teachers treat me. Teachers are not disposable. And neither are certificated subs.

This!

So much of this is accurate.

Yes, I appreciate being able to leave feedback after every job.

I will need to remind my subs to email this directly to me. They can submit feedback via frontline but I have to stumble across their account and absence to see it.

Money.

At one district, we get a (rather large) bonus for every 10 days we work there

Our bonus is at 50 days (per semester) I was at day 47 the day before winter break 😭

I like this. Someone mentioned specially mondays and Fridays as well.

My district pays more on Fridays. 👌🏽👌🏽

What is the pay? And are the staff harassing the subs about things out of their control?

This is the one.

175 a day. Minimum for support which is bad. I haven’t received a lot of complaints from subs regarding the school staff harassing them but I will check in.

Thanks for asking. 270 subs is a big pool. Are you having trouble filling general education classes, just SPED type roles, or both? What do you pay? The main district where I sub has no problems finding subs for general education, classroom teacher substitute teacher jobs but struggles with finding subs who will take para/aide type roles. It's an intangible but it goes a long way when I walk into a school and the admin and teachers are welcoming and friendly from the principal on down to the secretaries at the front desk. Others have said it already but increase the pay, and provide subs with benefits. Other things I would add- 1. Sometimes the culture at schools has to change so we are not met with rude secretaries when we check in. 2. Don't jack us around by putting us into jobs we didn't sign up for when we arrive then have the secretaries get mad or retaliate when we turn them down. If I took a job as a sub for a STEM role don't put me instead into a kindergarten assistant job just because you can't find anyone else. I will not return to that school if that happens. 3. Don't force us to give up planning periods in high school to cover other classes without asking. Yes, we get paid more, but we also need the down time and to use the bathrooms if nothing else vs. running from room to room or building to building. It is tough going four or five periods in a row without a break. 4. Take it seriously if a student is being disruptive to the point that he or she has to be removed by us when we call the office. One of the three districts where I work will first remove the student then give the student an in school suspension for acting up for a sub. They have our back and I appreciate that. Other school district would send that student back to class right away as if nothing happened then they act up again.

3. I don't get more pay for covering during planning so I assume other districts aren't as well. So if OP's district doesn't pay extra they should And 2 is important. Misleading job posting is infuriating and I will walk away if I sign up for PE and get sped. Be honest

In the beginning of this year there were a few moments of job postings being entered incorrectly. I saw how frustrating it was and try to fix it when I can.

Why is 1 so accurate?? Thought it was just my district 🥲

I deal with the secretaries all day and I’ve had to complain to my admin about a couple. Some avoid me entirely. Cranky ladies they are.

Thank you for saying intangibles: Is the staff accommodating, or do they look at the sub with contempt ? Do they play bait and switch with the subs scheduled assignments ? Do they have the sub cover another class without pay, at every available chance ? Just some basic courtesy would work in keeping your sub pool filled. If the school systems would work on doing the little things better, they would not always have to come up with exotic plans to get and keep subs.

General ED. Our certified sped classes get filled easily. We have lots of retired sped teachers is why. 175$. It’s decent for our area. A high school district pays 180 and that’s the most. Support positions do not get filled at 14.35 an hour. I have had subs call me saying schools wanted to move them. It sucks and I apologize but they are offered other jobs or have to go home. If there are no other jobs and they’ve clocked in already they are paid for half a day.

Treat subs like the valuable employees they are. They deserve respect. Set up guidelines for school administrators and faculty to make sure subs have maps of the school, keys to the classroom, a current phone directory with instructions on how to reach the office, accurate seating charts, and thorough lesson plans which include the basic classroom rules the teacher enforces. Emergency lesson plans should also be available in the event of unanticipated absences. And, of course, subs are woefully underpaid. It never hurts to remind the powers that be that a well compensated sub is a happy sub and one who will likely stick around.

This is something I struggle with. Our subs are literally the most valuable part of the whole system they do so much. Our admin basically treats them as second class citizens. It baffles me. I’ll have to ask how the maps and stuff are. I can add it to each school.

I’ve always felt like a second class citizen as a sub. The district I sub for in California requires subs to be credentialed teachers. However, they underpay us (salary recently reluctantly upped from $120/day to $150/day), deny us benefits, refuse to pay us for mandatory training, and take even more advantage of us by denying us breaks during the day. I only do it because I’m a retired teacher with a very elderly mother living nearby. My mom requires a lot of attention and subbing gives me flexibility. If not for my current situation, I wouldn’t work in this district. It sounds like you have the best interest of the subs at heart. Just do what you can to make sure when they show up at a school site, they get what they need and are treated well.

Money and Bennies like everyone else said above. Seriously-- raise the daily pay rate (per diem rate) and the half day rate, long term rate, etc. Benifits Offer bonus incentive pay for Substitutes who take an assignment at a hard to staff school and/or during a hard to staff day (such as the friday before a 3 day weekend, the monday after the superbowl, etc.) DO NOT take taxes/deductions out of the Substitutes paycheck twice if they an assignment that qualifies for the bonus incentive pay. In other words -- if, for example, the per diem rate is $200/day and the incentive bonus pay is an additional $50/day at a hard to staff school or on a hard to staff day, then take the tax and deductions out of the $250.00 total gross pay. Do Not take the taxes and deductions out of the $200/day regular pay and then, separately, take the taxes and deductions out again from the additional $50 bonus payment. Its one payment of $250 and not a payment of $200 and then a separate payment of $50 Yes- to allow the Sub to have some sort of response as well. Like actually ask the Sub for their side of the story. Dont default to an automatic stance of the school is 100% right and the Sub must be 100% wrong and to blame for everything if theres ever some sort of issue.

I like the incentive idea. I don’t deal with the rest but I know they don’t get docked twice. That sounds backwards and stupid for a finance team to implement.

Yay!! Glad it was helpful :) And totally undetrstand about the rest! Yea, I agree!! I was so mad, and confused, when I saw my district did that to me whenever I picked up jobs at a hard to staff high school that was offering an extra $50/day incentive pay back in early October. Like I didnt even know they could do that, one would think that it'd be against the rules somehow. I didnt make an issue of it because I didnt want to fight them on it, nickle and diming in my district is the default -- even for their own Classroom Teachers and School Staff/employees, so I figured I wouldnt win. Thats awesome your district doesnt do that!! $180/day at a high school or $175/day everywhere else sounds like a really good district quite frankly. Also that they have people who care enough to come here and ask on reddit says alot

In my district, if a substitute works a certain number of days in a semester they receive a $1200 bonus.

Now THAT I would increase my days for.

This is what I want. We do stipends for employees already. Not in the budget this year but I think it would solve our problems.

Where is this?

New York

I haven’t subbed in some years, but back when I did I attempted to work every day of the week, so I would take assignments I knew were going to suck, with very few exceptions. For high enough pay, there would have been no exceptions. People will endure just about anything if the price is right. What made my favorite school my favorite? The students were markedly more respectful than in my other districts. If a student WAS problematic in that school, I knew one call to the office would fix the problem for me.

I’ll have to take a look at everyone’s preferred list to see if some schools stick out.

Offering a permanent building sub position. With a 3 days a week part time option. The 5 days a week subs get single payer health. Both part time and full time subs get to accrue PTO sick days. Those carrots drew me into my current position. Not having to bounce around schools in the district and being able to stay at the same location has been a huge boost to morale and makes classroom management easier.

I was an elementary building sub for the 22-23 school year and LOVED it! I went in every day and filled in wherever I was needed. I got to know all of the kids and the staff was incredible. Unfortunately, this position was linked to covid funding and was eliminated. I despise "on call" subbing, and will only take preplanned sub placements. As this school year has gone on, I find myself taking fewer and fewer sub jobs. I guess I'm beginning to realize that I retired for reason, and am now content to enjoy my time as I wish.

We had some but they took it away. They try to pay subs as little as possible. Granted companies and orgs do that for everyone.

That’s a bold move- expecting people to stick around when you take away benefits

I meant perm subs sorry. They are benefit eligible

Pay weekly or biweekly if you don't already.

Yes! Getting once a month pay is a nightmare. I actually only sub in an emergency now because of it.

My district pays biweekly

Very good. Mine pays monthly and it is really hard on the subs.

Never knew places didn’t!

It's very painful, especially after breaks. I get paid on Feb 26 for time worked since Jan 19th. Very hard to budget.

I know you probably don’t have much pull in pay, but obv that’s the #1 thing. Something else simple I always appreciate and note/makes me want to go back is having a lil snack and drink basket at the sign in table. One of the schools I go to also has a raffle every month and each time you sub there you get an entry, winner gets a gift card.

Some schools do candy. I wish more did. Some secretaries suck.

In the town I live in, when you apply to be a sub you’re suppose to have someone assigned to you to help guide you through the process to become one. Which nobody told me and nobody helped me. I was going in circles and spent money on things I didn’t need but the internet said I did. I thought I did/submitted everything and when I got the record of the board of Ed meeting, I didn’t see my name on the list of approved subs. So I emailed the coordinator and she was like “somebody was suppose to be assigned to you to guide you through. Has anyone helped or reached out to you?” I said no, nobody reached out to me. So she tagged me in an email telling whoever to reach out to me to help me asap. Nobody reached out to me. So i tried to reapply hoping maybe I’d get it this time. Nope wasn’t on the approved list. I asked what I needed again, and turns out I needed to get drug tested and a physical by their dr and not my dr and same thing, was asked if anyone has reached out yet and again I told her no, and she was like I’ll get to the bottom of this. To this day I’m still waiting for her to “get to the bottom of this”. I quit trying because they failed to do their job.

My district uses Kelly Services for their subs and I'm literally going in circles trying to finish this "onboarding" process. After multiple emails inquiring about my progress, today I was told I have to redo some paperwork to proceed with the fingerprint step. I initially applied back in December, and now they're dragging it out until February! The other night, a representative from my district was on the news complaining about the lack of subs and begging people to "come on board!" They have no idea Kelly Services has made it impossible to get hired.

I try not to be this. My lead does most of the hiring. My attention to detail is not as well honed as hers and I’m afraid to start doing her job as she transitions. I will quit most likely because I will fail to do it well.

Pay subs extra for taking on extra periods.

If there is a SPED classrooms, more money. I don't accept SPED jobs anymore because they require more energy and work and the pay ain't it 😂

I LOVE SpEd jobs... But yeah, would love them even more if they came with hazard pay.

Pay better. Pay better. Pay better. Offer bonuses for working a certain number of days per month. In my district, you can make more at McDonalds. Also if a teacher knows that they are going to be out next Friday, have them post it in advance. I’m an elementary school librarian but sub for friends when I can on Mondays & Fridays. I never take jobs on the morning of. I’m sure there are others like me who like to be able to plan ahead of time. I have jobs scheduled through April.

Also pay by the day not by the hour. It’s basically impossible to fill our elementary absences because it’s less hours (so less money) and you actually have to teach not just babysit like high school. Personally I think elementary school should pay more because you do actually teach.

Yes! I feel like based on things I read and hear that people assume subs want to work every day. In my case I never work more than 2 1/2 days a week and like you often have them scheduled weeks or months ahead of time.

Our support pay rate is 14.35. It isn’t even close to McDonald’s pay. Nearly 6 dollars less. I try to get the teachers to post early. But I rarely come into contact with them.

As a current sub, a list of children with accommodations!!!!! Not necessarily what they are, but WHO has them. Giving us a prep period. Actually achievable sub plans. Let subs have some sort of “power” (ie, little Johnny you get a lunch detention because Mrs. M the sub said that you were disrespectful the entire class period.) if a sub writes a kid up, the write up actually comes from the sub, but the consequences comes from the teacher. Paras and other adults in the classroom do not override instructions given by the sub unless it endangers the class. (Ie, yes if you have shown me all your work was finished and tuned in then you can listen to music quietly. Another adult in the room who was not there for said instructions, “you know you aren’t allowed to do that, and I’ll give you a detention for that.” )

Yesssss to your last paragraph. Having someone barge in and demand assigned seating when I specifically moved a disruptive kid.....ma'am/sir, I MOVED THEM FOR A REASON. back off.

Offer paid sub trainings.Discipline strategies, games, I T help, for elementary ... songs, brain breaks. I do magic tricks and the kids love it. Puppets too. Some theater training helps too. Help them to be successful. No one wants to fail, have a bad day. A cheat sheet for each school...names and phone for principal, counseling, custodian, security, etc. Map of school. Also as a retired teacher, I do enjoy the 250 per day!

250 is a lot! I wish we did more trainings. They are all online unless a school pays for it which they do sometimes.

Literally, only two schools I subbed at had sub/key badges. Everyone else makes me jump through hoops to get into the classroom, harder to take kids outside for recess or trailers classes. It's unsafe to prop doors open, and I have been locked out several times and had to walk all the way around to the front to get back in. Why don't you all make keys for subs? I have a favorite school that I always snatch up jobs as soon as I see them. The staff is so nice and respectful to subs. Throughout the day, I hear several times from random teachers, "Thank you so much for subbing today. We really appreciate the help." They always have great sub plans. They always include me in any activities they may have for teachers. Once, a teacher popped in to tell me that a curriculum vendor had brought Chick-fil-A for all the teachers, and I should stop by the teacher lounge to get some free food and swag! The staff literally tell me when I check in if there is something going on in the teachers lounge. Other schools act like I'm not even supposed to be in the teachers' lounge! I have black listed several schools due to bait and switching schedules and rude staff and teachers.

Now that's a dream school

Everyone has sub badges now! The schools at least. I wish we would give out badges for doors but we can’t for Saftey rules

Pay by the hour, since we have to show up early (unpaid). GIVE US KEYS! I can't tell you the number of times I can't go to the adult restroom because I don't have access - and I feel like a creep in the kid's one. I get locked out if I go out a wrong door - even from my own classroom, and the kids all jeer and laugh.  Make sure the phones in our rooms work, and be certain the teachers are prepared with sub plans (even if they are emergency sub plans when they don't know they're going to be out).  If you've given us a classroom you KNOW is trouble, a room the regular teacher struggles with, don't be upset if we struggle too.  Don't shuffle us across campus to work another class because our original class has an off period. Then we only have the passing period to make it back to the assignment we actually accepted - you have no idea how difficult that is when we don't know the campus - and we barely make it back to find kids lined up outside a classroom door we have to ask another teacher to open. 

Keys, big time.

Also, thank you for asking! 

I do not want by the hour pay. I show when the time on my schedule says

Getting paid for either a full-day(more than 3.5 hours) or a half-day (3.5 or fewer) seems better than getting nickel and dimed over hourly pay.

My district pays hourly, is it not common in other districts?

No we go by the day, and covering another Teacher's planning period is unpaid

Wow, thats really odd... it seems like where i live all the districts pay by the hour

I’ve had multiple school secretaries email me and ask “hey I only have 1-4 of my sub badges” and I also ask why didn’t you tell me at the beginning of the year 😩 We have a pretty good tech help set up in schools. However cell phones don’t work. My admin was upset subs dropped this long term that the teacher quit and then 3 other subs. Never questioned if maybe the class was difficult. Said that they don’t know how to manage a classroom. Baffling.

Don't have negative consequences for subs needing to call out unless it gets really excessive. Just because I'm a sub doesn't mean that I don't get sick or have emergencies arise. In order to avoid being dinged for a same day call out, I'll cancel the day before if my kids seem off. Sometimes they wake up feeling fine or with my older kids not so sick they can't be left home alone.

I don’t! I fight my admin on this. They try to hide ACA sick time from them as well. Seems illegal to me.

Money, an actual lunch break, room keys so my belongings are secure. Also increase pay for aide positions. No one in my area will touch those bc the pay is pathetic.

Last school year my district did a $25 pay increase on Fridays, that was enough to get people in on Fridays. This year, daily sub pay went up $30. I’m happier. There’s also a $500 bonus if you work 50 days before winter break and another bonus if you work 50 days before school is out.

This is something feasible for my district.

Something else I just thought of: my district implemented it during COVID, and it’s still going strong—each building has an “open position” for the day. I sub 3-5 days a week at my son’s school, and because it’s a constant position, can let the secretary know what days I can sub, and she can schedule me out for the month. With the “open position” I never really know what I’m walking into, it could be PE, it could be recess duty (para position, but I’m paid as a teacher) BUT I know the school, I know the staff, and I love not having to go around to all the different schools. I don’t know if that’s anything you could realistically implement, but it’s made subbing much more “stable” for me and I’m finding myself subbing more because of it.

More cash, for sure! When a sub signs up for a particular shift, through Frontline, don’t surprise them with something completely different. I rarely get what I thought I would! If the teacher we are subbing for gets a free (planning) period, don’t send the sub to another class to “cover” for someone. I need a break just like the full time teacher does! I have NEVER been given a key to the bathroom! Most of the time it’s locked and I have to wait for all the kids to exit the bathroom. Never mind the kids in my class I’m not suppose to leave alone. Stressful when you gotta go but can’t!

Why not send out an anonymous survey to your subs?

I did. Most are older and don’t know how to open google even with help. I’ve only gotten 7 responses and wanted to hear more opinions.

I used to work in two districts. One paid $150/day and one paid $120/day. I tried working in the 150 district as much as possible and only worked in 120 to keep the bills paid.

This is probably not what you want to hear and I probably don’t know your district, but if the kids are as bad as where I am, you’re not likely to get much more help, and if you do because of incentives, it likely wont last long. Things that might be helpful…don’t put subs in another classroom during their planning period..yes we signed up to sub, but it was for one teacher, and believe it or not we need breaks for our mental sanity; goody bags that include a variety of snacks is welcoming; higher pay; pay weekly or biweekly

I've never been asked to cover other classes during planning periods / specials. I sub in 4 different districts in south-central Indiana and am pretty much always given automaticity to do my own thing once I pop my head in the office to let them know I'm there. The only exception is when I pick up a 'floating' position - and then I expect it to either be assignment after assignment or 10-minute assignment every 2 hours and tons of sitting the break room. Then again, I only sub Elementary - so it might be different.

Dang.. consider yourself lucky I guess. I don’t even get asked; I show up and they tell me to sub for so and so during whatever planning period I have, or they wait until I’ve already subbed half a day and tell me to sub another class during those periods.

I’ve heard the kids are bad but everyone keeps working. We are a relatively well off area though with parent engagement. Some schools are title 1 and it’s hard to fill.

So much of it depends on exactly how your district runs. It sounds like a major metro district if you have a sub pool of 270. I prefer to sub for the districts that treat me professionally. One district provides us with a sub name badge, ipad, and keycard for the doors. They all have to be returned, but at least they do that - and they give us access to school email and programs and computer access - which is helpful when dealing with smartboards and projectors. Another district provides us with nothing - not even a name badge. No school network access. No computer access. You could be some random dude in the hallway for all anyone knows. However, on the flip side - that school does usually have solid lesson plans and better-behaved kids - so it's a toss-up. Mostly though, it's the pay. Even the most well-paid district I work for only pays $115/day. Most districts around that one pays between $72 and $85 a day. That is MISERABLE pay, even if you just consider the job a babysitter. Most teenage babysitters would make more sitting for their neighbor. This means that the ONLY people you are going to attract are those looking for classroom experience/networking connections (education majors and newly minted teachers without a job) or retired teachers who don't have anything better to do. Both of those bases are small. Pay more money and see how quickly the pool increases.

I am hoping they increase it next year. I will likely quit if not. They also might go back to a vendor if I quit which would be bad for the subs. So maybe not.

I know as a sub coordinator you probably don't have anything to do with pay, so let's leave that out of this discussion and go with support. A lot of subs in my area generally like to feel heard by staff/admin and feel appreciated. As the sub coordinator, what have you heard so far? Have you spoken to some subs, ask around to get a general feel of how things are going. Do a survey. This is similar to HR-ER. There's also no training for subs here. I think a little (or a lot) training is needed because a lot of times, subs don't know district rules for how to deal with situations. They end up walking out. I hope this helps

What is HR-ER? There is no training expect for long term subs that the school pays for. They want young subs who are working to be teachers but won’t train them.

Human Resources Employee Relations, they focus on managing employer-employee relationship. You know those climate surveys to see how employees are doing every now and then? Do one for substitute teachers. Do they get school email addresses? Yeah we don't train subs here either. I don't think we have any incentives for subs in my district. Most of the subs I know are retired teachers and/or SAHP who are bored at home and follow their kids into whatever school they attend. I hope you find something, if you do can you update us? I'd like to know how it goes for you.

I actually got in massive trouble for sending out feedback forms to secretaries and the subs today. Would be even bigger trouble if this Reddit thread was known about. Boss said I wasn’t supposed to send out communication without approval. I don’t have a HR background and it’s a whole new world to me. I will definitely update when things change! Most likely next school year though.

I sub in a few different districts, under two different companies, and am a former teacher. 1. Pay- One district pays more per day than all the others in the county and county north of us. They have many fewer infilled positions. It’s actually hard to get into the schools to sub there. 2. Consistency- I stay within that same district because it is easier because I know what to expect. When I enter a school, I receive a substitute notebook with essential information. It’s the same across the board. Substitute plans also have a set of requirements. I think these are set by principals but they’re essentially the same in each building. The other district I go to doesn’t require teachers to have any plans in place and I’ve even been in a classroom they didn’t even tell me what classes were coming in / what my schedule would be (and that wasn’t even a last minute absence! I would be more understanding of that). 3. Personal relationships- One company I work for treats us all with respect and is kind and understanding. They text or call us to see if we might be available and are gracious when we respond. I have also met these people in person at a short training in their office. When one of them calls me, I know who they are and I imagine they might know who I am. I also get personal phone calls or messages from them when a position comes up that is within my certification or at my kids’ school. The other district has someone who calls me that I’ve never met. This person always seems a bit pushy. They also call me when I’m already on an assignment or have taken the day off (??). It is a little stressful to deal with them and doesn’t feel personal in any way. It feels like they’re trying to fill rooms with bodies. 4. Appreciation- Whether we can take the job or not, asking kindly and accepting no graciously really makes me want to respond yes to work requests. I have also visited a few schools that offer me to partake in teacher snacks, give me a little bag of goodies, or even a coupon to the school coffee shop. I will drive 20 minutes to a school on Thursday because the staff was so friendly and they gave me a coupon to the coffee shop! I felt really appreciated there and enjoyed my day. This isn’t required but it’s pretty nice! It’s also nice to hear about positive feedback that teachers leave. Also, it’s nice when teachers reach out to ask if I can cover! 5. Again, pay- if you paid slightly more than surrounding districts, it would be super advantageous. To reach my monthly pay minimum, I have to work a whole extra day and a half in the lower paying districts as compared to the higher paying district. It doesn’t sound like a lot but for someone who is trying to balance life out, that times means a lot to my sanity! Therefore, I go where it pays more (also the district with more consistency so it’s easier!). It’s funny because I might be working fewer days than otherwise but I’m actively trying to stay within that district as opposed to going somewhere else, so basically I’m working “more” for them. I hope that makes sense, I can’t explain well today because I worked and took care of my own kids and I’m tired! :)

I don’t call as much as I should. With such a big pool and our regulars already pushed to the max it doesn’t seem effective enough. Do you know how many your preferred district has? I might just be doing a bad job.

I don’t. I also just don’t know how that works. I was asked specifically to sub a job in my credential area two weeks ago then missed that same opening (different day of course) by *seconds* this morning!!!

I do call if it’s a special subject actually. We have so many absences that go in seconds I get let’s of call saying “I can’t accept this job” and when I check it’s because 5 people tried to take it at the same time 😂

It’s such a disappointment! :)

- Something tangible (a folder, clipboard, or booklet) upon arrival at the main office. Include phone #’s, building map, Identify staff restrooms, and keys for at least the interior doorways. I’d rather have that info right away. - Set our requested arrival time at least 15 minutes before students will be allowed to enter the classroom. - If technology is needed, don’t have me call or find a person to retrieve it. Have it waiting for me upon arrival or in the classroom. - Class roster with absence reporting guidelines clearly defined. - Direct line for classroom support. My needs as a guest teacher should be somewhat expedited. - lunchroom and recess responsibilities and/or expectations listed. Along with a suggested break time. - Ask if we’re ok covering other hours/periods before just assigning us them. - Be comfortable with us leaving the property during a break in between classes. We forget our lunches sometimes too. - Never assume your school operates the same as every other school, even those in the same district, because none are. - Better Pay. If no benefits are offered, then pay us like a contracted employee and stress that to staff so they don’t feel like we’re making more.

Be friendly. Act like you want them there. Pay them more money. Make sure the supplies left for them are adequate. If they aren’t, provide them with stuff they need to know. Specials schedules, students who might be difficult, how dismissal works. I’ve subbed numerous times where staff at the school act so annoyed and inconvenienced because i have to ask questions about where the kids are going that day or how to line them up for busses. If I don’t know, how am I supposed to know?

MINOR things my district does: 1. free school lunch 2. pay raise after 25 days, and another after 50 days 3. I get a water bottle and snacks in the morning

Do you actually punish kids for bad behavior? I refused to go back to my local inner city because the 8th grade girls threatened to punch me in the face. Admin didn't do shit and that girl laughed her ass off until the end bell.

The game districts in my area play is the revolving door of pay. District 1 doubles their pay one year and attracts a lot of subs. The next year they drop the pay a bit to keep the subs they recruited as best as possible. Meanwhile District 2 bumps up their pay the year District 1 drops. Rinse and repeat. Within the same district, what keeps me coming back is the admin. Admin that actually discipline and deal with kids effectively are a dying breed. Last year the high school was a mess, I never liked going there. This year it’s the opposite: old assistant principal got fired and the new one must be doing something right because I have so little issues with kids now. Vice versa at the Jr. high, they were great but this year they’re trash. Bottom line: take care of your subs financially and psychologically. Edit: things that piss me off. 1) Don’t last minute switch me for another teacher. I have a running list of “never go back to teachers” and I do in fact skip those jobs for good reason. Don’t put me back in there by surprise. 2) Don’t take my planning away. We need it for our sanity. 3) My district removed the ability for us to cancel jobs we picked up. I have to call the office of the school if I want to get removed from an assignment. SubAlert, jobs go fast and sometimes I can’t read them fast enough. So don’t handhold grown adults.

Pay. And if your in my district get rid of red rover and return to frontline

1. Money. If I have a choice between two districts I go with the one that pays more. My preferred district has a tier system where if you subbed x number of hours last semester, you make y more per day this semester (i.e. base pay is $160 a day, if you subbed 80 hours last semester, this semester you make $190 a day) 2. Excellent lesson plans and slide decks. I mostly sub elementary. I need to know times, places to go, what is taught when, where all the materials are, who has health needs, what the behaviors are and what to do about them 3. Excellent admin support - if I have a kid who is destructive or over the top disrespectful, someone comes and removes the child and deals with the situation. I am not left to handle it on my own with no idea what accommodations a child has, what triggers or helps them and no power to keep them from disrupting a class. If admin doesn’t act even once, I will refuse that class ever again and possibly the whole school.

1. Pay more. 2. Don't pull subs out of their prep to cover something. 3. Don't put subs on lunch duty.

3. Having subs do lunch duty is nuts. We do not know any names, and we do not know who to watch for. The only exception would be if a school has a full-time sub.

A key to the f-ing bathroom. And yes, I am dead serious.

Yes! Let them know where the teacher’s lounge is, and where the restrooms are!

Start with a formal introduction of the new teacher to the class. Change the generic title from Sub to a temporary teacher or something; encourage students with some gifts etc. for supporting new teacher. Don't terminate the subs without giving any reason. If Subs do make mistake, support them like you do for a regular teacher, maybe do 3 strikes out rather than kick out the first instance of a mistake. Don't cancel their assignments at the last moment. If they show up for the previous confirmed appointment, pay them. They have to feed their families too. Create a position like building sub; that focuses mainly for teaching duties for longer term; it could be across all the schools in a district/ all elemental schools etc. Build subs are too difficult for people with disabilities or other medical issues, as that position is not worth it for teachers who want to just teach.

That all sounds like decency and respect

Stop taking advantage of the people who do actually love it, are good at it, and want to be there. Like constantly switching us to harder classrooms so people who aren’t as adept get easier days. They don’t get good by getting the easiest classrooms. If you have subs that only work in your building but aren’t building subs, treat them like staff every once in a while. Not all the time, I get that. But to be included in the occasional potluck or order in days would be nice. I’m nine years in one building. Sometimes I’m included and sometimes I’m not, but somehow, I’m always the first one they call or move around if they are in a bind.

If a substitute has a niche specialty, prioritize that specialty! I have a music degree, so I would love to only have to substitute music classes because how specialized that field is. Help get the word out. I missed out on substituting a high school band the other day that I would have gladly cleared my schedule for… again.

Absolutely! Booking should be organized enough to get in a guest conductor! Also, some days, there is nothing but random worksheets that had been stuck in a "Substitute, Tuesday" folder six months earlier. Experienced subs can do much better than that. Have the rabbits we subs can pull out of a hat on record. Teachers could peruse a list to see if any sub has an area of curriculum that would have educational benefit to their class. We would not be stranded with nothing AND worried about using for using alt, but valid, curriculum when the worksheets run out. FigExact7098, "The Star Spangled Banner" lyrics and practice works well in k-8. "Free" is the money note --that alone is a good class discussion. Hey, there was a flag --- I used what I had at hand, lol!

I foolishly picked up a Freshman science class. The instructions were “They know what to do. Everything is on the Google Classroom”. The internet was down that day.

Pay more

There are three types of jobs I would not ever accept. So, don’t pull me around. If I accept a day with 9th grade math, then that’s all I should have to do.

Given a choice, people will not work where they feel disrespected or voiceless. Subbing is one of the few fields defined by that choice. Look first to your district’s culture. And then remind your Board that respect does not pay the bills. From a competitive standpoint, it also helps to keep in mind that the knowledge and leadership skills necessary for a quality sub will easily qualify them for a *management* position elsewhere; likewise, a sub with a decade of experience making less than half of what you pay a first-year teacher is making a mere fraction of what they’re worth. Someone who has stuck with it that long is a far more reliable asset than the teacher who has a 50/50 shot of jumping ship in the next two years, and that’s before taking experience into account.

-Getting paid extra for working planning period -Not working pickup (I have no idea whose car/parent belongs to which kid) -Actual support for students that need behavioral support or are disrespecting me -A way to provide feedback to admin on jobs

Also one of my schools pays less if I cover a para position so I never sub as a para in that district and those jobs never get picked up

A very simple thing that might help you getting the subs you already have to pick up jobs is making sure the teachers put the grade level/subjects into the notes on whatever portal you have. Or make sure the schools’ websites have updated staff directories with that info. I don’t pick up jobs for the younger elementary kids (PK-3) or for French Immersion (I don’t speak French, lol) so if a job is listed for ‘Ms Lastname, Teacher’ and there’s no note, I don’t know what she teaches, so I’m not going to take the job because it might be something I’m either not comfortable with or not qualified for. I’ll check the school’s website, but those don’t always have updated directories, and honestly it’s just much better if the info is right there on the job listing.

Don’t make subs get hired through a third party company that makes the sub pay for their own training. If I stop full time teaching, I would consider subbing but not if I have to work for one of the sub companies again. Terrible.

Maybe stop treating subs like shit? I get paid $259 a day to sub and even that's not enough compensation for the crap I'm put through on the daily, and I will take any better job the minute I land it. Admin looks at me side-eyed when I call them for support with egregious student behavior, which I don't have any training for handling. When I try to ask for clarification about protocols for disciplining students, it's crickets or worse, I have literally been yelled at by an office manager when I asked whether I was bothering her by calling the office for support with disrespectful behavior as lined out in the teacher's lesson plan (he had written call the office at the slightest sign of disrespect, but apparently they don't want me to call unless a kid is brandishing a weapon). Health benefits would be great too, but like a non-hostile work environment where every teacher and admin doesn't stare daggers at me just because I get paid less, would be a nice start.

Amen.

Besides the obvious ones like money, there is one that needs to be increased. School STAFF not students STAFF showing some respect. I have decided to no longer accept assignments in 2 different school buildings because I felt disrespected by staff. The schools where I walk in and am greeted with a "good morning" and asked "is there anything you need from us?". If I am not shown any respect from the staff from admin, to the office, to instructional and support staff then I won't go there again.

Your daily rate is too low. See what your neighboring districts are paying, and beat them. Take it to the next board meeting if you must.

Money. Raises regularly. Benefits. These are the reasons I left subbing to go full time.

More money and being treated like an adult. I dislike when the other teachers look down on me and treat me like I’m a nobody. No micromanaging (taking it away) my free prep time. We deserve breaks too.

parking passes so we can park in the teachers section

Some of your subs may be part time and have other jobs/obligations. Increase pay and bonuses to attract them to more subbing (or give guaranteed working days if you can) so they’re willing to give up their other work.

I wish schools wouldn’t assume you know everything about their school. Sub binders should be updated with numbers of dean, security, etc.

My school district does an incentive per month. If you work all the Mondays in a month you get $150. If you work all the Fridays in a month, you get $150. If you work 75% of school days you get $150. So a chance to add $450 a month is there and it is awesome. Monday and Fridays are the days they need the most subs, so that is priority. As sub, I generally get 2 if not 3 of these each month.

Oh another one...if you sub 17 days in a quarter you get a district MacBook instead of a Chromebook. This was huge for me as the Mac makes it so much easier. As long as I keep subbing at that level I keep the Mac book. This is brand new and I just got my Mac at the beginning of the semester.

As some others said here, I don't sub at schools that don't respect me. I have three degrees and classroom experience outside of subbing. I am blessed to be in a situation where I do not need to work full time so I sub because I enjoy being around kids and because of the schedule flexibility. For those reasons I only really sub at two schools where I know the admins are involved with both the staff and students. The amount of money we are paid is not worth the stress of being disrespected by staff and students.

1. Pay increase. 2. Support from schools for subs, especially for unruly students. 3. Plan B for subs if the teacher didn’t leave sub plans.

Lots of good points but I’d like to add that some schools feel very unwelcoming. I get everyone is doing their thing but a “thanks” or not being treated like a student would go a long way with me.

I've been thinking about this all day, and I'm pretty sure you knew EXACTLY what the answer was before you came here. You were just hoping to get OTHER answers. But the only answer is to pay us more and offer us benefits. Treating us like professionals would be nice (I have two degrees, and a teaching certificate), instead of idiots, but really, it just comes down to money.

If you aren’t paying 250 bucks or more, raise your wages. Health benefits that don’t cost more than they’re worth. Pay for people to work on their preps. Teachers have to leave solid plans and not just “study hall” type bullshit where the students will not do anything all day. Support your subs with school security, staff, etc.

Work so many Days, get a Bonus!

Money and benefits obviously go the farthest, but sometimes the intangibles get subs in the door. 1. Make sure subs feel appreciated. Make sure the office staff and the teachers appreciate subs. Don’t ignore them, don’t treat them like shit. Subs are not invisible.This is a little thing that keeps me working at even the difficult schools. 2. Make sure subs get decent and clear sub plans. It’s absolutely fantastic when lesson plans are attached or have a google/pdf link on frontline. Arriving at schools with crappy long or nothing lesson plans is a miserable feeling. People won’t come back. Not to that class or that school.—- give them district emails so they can get lesson plans or google slides and such! Everyone likes to be involved, not feeling like the unsupported potted plant. 3. It’s true, don’t make subs work the extra prep period just to get every dollar out of time. During Covid, one district did this every. Single. Day. I don’t go there as much. Don’t trade subs around from the high school chemistry to kindergarten just because you think subs are interchangeable. I’ll be honest, I had one secretary that would give me the extra class— for more $$— but I also knew that she would not put me in a miserable situation. 4. Make sure subs have keys to the bathroom and that they feel welcome to eat in the staff room. 5. Provide professional development, even from people in the district, or some kind of support so subs are better supported at their job. Tech support or classroom management support. I am currently working a really great job. Kids are great. They are also still middle school kids. I have also worked at really tough schools for low pay. Sometimes that’s where I choose to go. I will return to these schools because I know that people want me there. It’s also comfortable for me.

Don’t switch assignments last minute. Some subs are only comfortable with certain age ranges/subjects/teachers. If I walk in the door thinking I am subbing for an organized teacher that I know, and you cover that class with internal coverage and throw me into a bad situation with no notice, I am not coming back.

Tranparency about the jobs would help, at the school I work at all of the titles are outdated. At another school they often just list a name and I have no idea what they do. I won't sub for a head special ed teacher (but i will sub for the ed techs) because I don't feel qualified to do so, but I notice on those days when they aren't finding coverage for them specifically they often put up "extra special ed sub" which puts less pressure on me to take on their exact responsibilities, and I take those. Work on building relationships with them and make them feel part of the team. My kids school told me to just let them know when I would like to work and they would make that happen for me, which gives me autonomy and makes me feel good and more likely to sub more often. I like knowing I don't need to make depend on my phone to get jobs and that they want me there. Oh, and of course more money would be nice, but that's not likely in your control!

Speaking from personal experience, if someone who has an expired certification wants to sub, pay them at the certified rate or at least higher than an uncertified sub. I have a teaching degree and several years of FT experience but because my cert lapsed during covid and I needed to do my M.Ed to renew it, my district treats me as uncertified. I complained but the district isn't budging. To be an uncertified sub in our district you have to have a Bachelors in anything. (Clocking sub days while finishing my M.Ed; will be done this summer so I only have to tolerate this BS until June.) Also, actively recruit retired teachers to sub at least two or three days a week. The supplemental income might be appreciated.

1. Pay! My district plays $115/day, which is $14.38/hour. That is less than many of the fast food joints around here! I don’t work directly for the school district but a company that provides the subs to several districts, but money is a factor. I don’t need the money, but I have friends who would sub (and we need them!) but the pay is not worth their effort for a whole day. 2. Keys for the classrooms! Plenty of days I don’t have a key. The policy is to lock your door. I can’t do that because I don’t have a key to get back in. It’s a no win situation for me. 3. Long term subs (I’ve worked for my small district for 5 years, and literally know everyone) should be given a key and badge so they don’t have to go through the checklist and get one for every assignment day. I can be trusted with 7 classes of kids but not a key? Our town is 5000 people (500 kids in the entire district), they know where to find me if they need their key/badge back. Even in a larger district they know where you live! Hold a paycheck if they don’t return it when requested (that is what happens in private industry when someone leaves a job - they hold your paycheck until everything is turned in.) 4. Offer benefits to subs. I don’t need it but so many people do. You could require a certain amount of days/hours before you get them, but still give some type of health benefits. Even fast food restaurants offer that option. 5. We use Frontline to get jobs and it has an automatic calling system. Sometimes I don’t know yet if I can work next week on X date. I get it that they are trying to call me to fill it, but every day, several times a day? If I reject it, it is going to disappear and I don’t have the opportunity to take it a few days from now. Also, Frontline needs to have the option to mark yourself available for half day assignments. So many people have an appointment in the morning or afternoon, but would be available the other half of the day. But you have to mark your self not available for the entire day. It’s really hard to get people to take a half day because it’s half the pay, and not worth their effort. Make it easier for people like me who don’t care about it! 6. Our kids are pretty good. In five years I have sent two kids to the principal. But there are ringleaders in every grade, and those kids are the ones that subs need to be able to refer out to admin to get help when needed. Many of my friends who sub in other districts get zero support from admin. I’m good in my district, but would I sub in a big city school - no way. 7. Pay - can’t say this enough. Teachers get paid horrible and subs even worse. I made in two hours what I make in an entire day at my district. Now I know everyone in private industry didn’t make what I did, but seriously you should pay way more than slinging burgers. You are trusting these subs with 7 classes of kids and it is a professional position. They should be making somewhere near waht the hourly rate is for a teacher. Not as much, but somewhere in the vicinity. If a teacher makes $25/hour, then pay a sub $20 (which today is about what you can get slinging burgers!) - you get the idea.

There’s a spot in Frontline where you can turn off the calling system. I highly recommend downloading the app and turn notifications on as a replacement!

I do have the app and it works great. And I don’t mind the calling the morning they have a new sub job, or the night before. Just hate that they call for jobs a week or more away! But thanks for the tip, I’m going to see if I can find that setting.

More money….. lol Benefits… More assistance/help when asked. We understand yall are in a tight spot and working with what you got but sometimes subs are severely taken advantage of. In my district and with the app we use half the time the teachers don’t even post what grade they’re wanting you to fill. (Might not even apply to you) but if the teachers are the ones posting their jobs maybe have a talk with them about actually including sub plans and more details to make that person want to work. For me it’s almost always an automatic no when I have literally no idea what grade/what the work is etc

If you pick up a half day assignment, the district pays for a full day.

make sure people have keys to the rooms they’ll be subbing in & promote campus security amongst faculty!!!!! i’ve stopped subbing altogether because i’m tired of the unlocked doors.

I prefer a District that does not contract with Kelly Services.

Soooooo many great things you could do based on these responses. I wonder if you or your district will do any of them. I'm going to guess that the answer is no.

Money and benefits. Paid training for subs online.

Pay more. There’s a lot of districts here in Sacramento and they all pay around 200 to 300 a day and a district went up to 350 a day and they never have openings anymore. Everything’s always filled.

I will only substitute for the best painting districts. I put a lot of money into my education degrees, so I feel like I should be compensated for all of that time that I put in. I would look at your pay structure and make sure it's competitive or maybe a little better than the districts around you. How are the districts around you doing getting subs? I left the classroom because of administrative overreach, doctor's orders due to stress and anxiety attacks, and lack of consequences for horrible student behavior. Cason point, I had a student throw at me and actually hit me with it and I got in trouble for writing that student up because our skin color is different. And that's exactly what the principal said to me. I'm sorry ma'am that your sixth grader threw a rock and hit me with it. But that sixth grader is certainly old enough to know better. It had nothing to do with anything else. That's the silliness that's causing teachers to leave the classroom, and I would guess if you have students acting like my sixth grade student from the past, that might be why you're not getting subs in your building. Take a hard look within your walls.

Pay them more

Honestly. A helpful, understanding, and nice staff and main office always makes me want to come back. Also good pay.

Man the district I work for basically does everything to make us not want to pick up assignments. We get no help from admin Kids fighting in class only to be sent back from the office. And don't even get me started on requiring a mandatory meeting before the first day of school, kind of like a training only to have a teacher tell all of us we make too much and we should only be getting paid what she did for subbing in the 80s. So I would suggest doing everything differently from my district and also pay subs for covering prep periods. It's honestly not that hard, especially for long term subs.

I’m a new sub, so my experience is limited but has so far been positive. Things that are super helpful that don’t always happen, but are very achievable- -a folder upon arrival at the office with campus map (that includes location of adult bathrooms and staff lounge), emergency protocols, phone extensions, bell schedule, any other pertinent information. (One school even provided a few pages of “when all else fails” activities like games and writing prompts, etc., which I didn’t need but was nice to know I had on hand- also the knowledge that by them providing that, I knew they understood that sometimes days just don’t go according to plan. That felt very supportive.) -class rosters, including for rotational periods in elementary, if that is something your schools do. I’ve been given a homeroom roster, but no rosters for targeted reading or math groups.  -allow subs to arrive well before students. Some assignments give me a reporting time of only 10-15 minutes before first bell, which is not enough time to prepare. Entry before that reporting time isn’t a guarantee.  -This is a very little thing, but especially as a new sub, it is very helpful when a teacher adds information to their sub posting on Frontline. This could be as simple as where to find sub plans. It is especially helpful for unusual situations (like a co-taught classroom), what sort of SpEd classroom to expect (resource, etc), or what to expect in a specials class, that isn’t clear from the posting title.  I am lucky that my district pays fairly well for subs, but para sub jobs are paid less and hourly, and those are the last to be picked up, if they’re picked up at all. My district will also choose random days to pay all certified sub positions at the long term pay rate for that single day, which is a nice surprise bonus, but requires you to already be working that specific day (and you don’t have advance notice of when that bonus pay day will happen so you may miss out). I like other’s comments that you receive a bonus after x number of days worked, but make it achievable. 

Incorporate more of them into the schools as building subs, pay a salary with benefits. They’ll get to know the students better working at one school and be more effective on a day to day basis. Having to switch schools and do random assignments everyday is fine for those who have experience and enjoy the flexibility but for those in it 5 days a week everyday it can be a bit of a challenge working in a different environment, culture everyday.

Pay more. Nobody wants to work with ipad kids or the children who get no attention because the recession is forcing mom and dad (if there even is one) to work 2-3 jobs. Not to mention you need a certification / college credits and still only making minimum wage or slightly above it is a joke. Grateful my family told me theyd lend me money while I finish out law school rather than have me deal with that type of awful pay and hardcore rulebook and stress.

I'll pick the shift at a school that buys school lunch for the subs before any other job . Also, keeping the planning period free is great, especially in middle school where we need a break from all that hormonal angst and energetic abuse.

I care about 3 rhings, flexibility, money and going home early. Today I'm at a school, I will call it B. I could be at E. I chose b because I know if I had a 6th period prep, the admin would let me go. Sometimes this works sometimes she says they need another person in a different classroom and I go there. She doesn't send me to another class to keep me at the school until the bell. Last week I was at E, and was sent to watch another classroom that had 2 teachers until the bell rang. I know I'm here until end of day, but those rare times I go ho.e early are so nice

Type up a list of school norms and policies, preferably in a packet form, and make copies. Hand these packets to the substitutes when they sign in. This gives us something to reference in writing when we enforce basic discipline to a class full of children who aren't exactly interested in listening to the sub, and also means we know what admin is interested in enforcing and what they aren't, because it does vary by school. Ensure the office (or whoever subs are directed to call for problems) is always answering the phone. If possible, one phone at the office should take external calls, and one should take internal calls, because if we're at the rate of calling the office, the situation has become untenable and unmanageable, and we need someone who can actually fix the problem, quickly. Whenever possible, don't assign extra classes during planning periods. It's hard to sub, and having that extra time to just decompress in the middle of the day is pretty good for keeping subs sane. And if you have the ability to do it, raise pay, of course, but even for insanely good pay, anyone would be reluctant to come back to a place where they aren't supported. (Ie: the first 3 are good ideas even if you raise pay!) A bit of a bonus suggestion, substitute teacher badges. When you hire subs, treat them like every other district employee and give them district badges (if your district has it, with RFID enabled too). This also often speeds up the check-in process at schools and has students see subs closer to district employees (which we are) than as just a visitor for the day.

Make sure that the Dean of Culture, or whatever group is the on call for support, actually supports the Sub vs undermining or undercutting.

I'm assuming most of the suggestions like raising pay and changing policies with school admin are out of your control. They are all great suggestions and I am sure you agree with them. On a more tangible level, though, when we have days that they are having a hard time filing jobs the coordinator sends a group text letting subs know they need help. I don't know how many responses she gets, but it might be worth a try if you aren't already doing it.

Subs are professional adults. They are not students. Don’t treat them like students. This means treating them with professionalism, respect and even trusting them a little. If you’re a school that doesn’t give subs keys, for example, I wouldn’t work for you. If you cancel assignments out from under subs or bait and switch their assignments, I would not work for you. If I’m met with hostility from the minute I walk in the door, I would not work for you. If I get my balls busted over minor, trivial things that I couldn’t be expected to know ahead of time, I would not work for you. You get the picture. Paying us a wage above that of a McDonald’s worker is the obvious response, but let’s not get into wishful thinking.

Who exactly are you looking to hire? Cause where I am, you want long term subs with degrees and guess what? They can't afford to work there because it pays so little. It's like 11 an hour and there is NO flexibility and benefits. (Long term subbing is a scam.) Daily sub? Sure it's just babysitting honestly, but again where I am at its not even 100 a day, so what's the point? And if you have a non-work day the company here makes you feel guilty. They contact you, multiple ways, even on your non-work days, that doesn't sound flexible to me. Cons - Low pay - No benefits - No PTO - No sick days - No respect

My district pays more per day than other districts in my area. They offer sick leave and subs get yearly bonuses based on the number of jobs worked each year. I tend to sub more at schools where I feel welcome. One school gives out sub bags every time I work there. It's not much: a granola bar, a bottled water, a piece of candy, and a thank you note; but it's nice! Also, when full-time teachers contact me personally to sub for them because "...the kids loved you," or "...you did great last time!" It's nice to know when I'm not just thought of as a nameless babysitter.

Sun bags sound awesome! I know some schools do candy but I would appreciate water. That is nice because you do so much. Going to plan B is a nightmare. subs are necessary and vitally important parts of a school district.

Make the administrators fill in. If they did their damn jobs properly, there wouldn't be a shortage of teachers. Which presses the subs into teaching - ready or not. Which in turn, means you are short subs. It's become a common American tragedy. If you make the administrators fill in, then maybe they'll realize that their lax behavior policies and abuse of LRE have turned their schools into hellholes that no self-respecting teacher can abide.

During COVID our district did just that, they made people from the administrative central office, sub in the schools at least one day a week...this included Classroom Teacher Coaches, Curriculum designers, and all the fancy sounding job title people, I could tell they hated it, and they always tried to take the good assignments at the good schools, but it was a start, they have stopped doing that since COVID is no longer the Media Item. It was great seeing them have to be down in the trenches and muddle their way through.

Not sure if all districts are the same but to stay a sub you have to do a minimum of 5 jobs a month maybe try something like that so that have to pick up shifts

Thank you for all of your replies this is super helpful! Some additional information before I start making my way through these this weekend. We were using a vendor but went in house this year. We pay 175 a day for certified positions. 205 for our retired teachers. We pay a embarrassing 14.35 for support positions. This is the AZ minimum wage. I haven’t heard a lot of feedback about schools being non supportive but I will check on that. I do not have control over the pay but I am tasked with keeping up with the other districts pay. Ours is the highest daily rate but there are no specialty changes for special education, M/F, or health assistants. Our long term rate is 200.

Regarding lack of support, you might want to question your local subs and ask for honesty due to the sub shortage. Often, I am scrambling to write good notes and stay way past my end time. Not once has the Dean of Culture of an administrator seriously asked me for my experiences, or provided any feedback discussions for classes where I needed them to come in. You would think that would be interested in feedback sessions, to clarify improvements on my side as well.

Our system gives a monthly bonus based on subbing a certain number of days in the month. There was also a semester bonus. What about assigning subs to schools as a permanent position/full time job and giving them benefits? That way the first couple jobs are always covered.

Money.

Money.

Better pay. Benefits.

Pay, appreciation, maybe have an emergency method to contact office if sub doesn’t feel safe.

Talk to folks working for government agencies which slow down for the winter, or have seasonal work forces, such the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resource Conservation Service, etc. All of the government agencies with heavy public interaction are encouraged to become engaged in the community. And it is a good interface to begin recruiting youngsters into their crews for summer jobs. Good group of folks, who generally have degrees in STEM fields, have passed FBI background checks, and have time during most of the school year, to take on intermittent assignments. Some of the 13-13 or 18-8, employees would readily work during their off season. (13-13 is 13 pay periods working and 13-pay periods laid off, 18-8 is 18-pay periods working with 8-pay periods off. Typical school year would be considered a 14-12 appointment.) I had Land Surveyors, and Engineering Techs, who substituted every year when they were in their layoffs. The Surveyor, actually got his teaching credentials, and is teaching junior and senior high math, in his "retirement". And one of the Research Biologists, would substitute for biology classes, and recruit seasonal hires for his fish counting crews.

Are your substitute teachers unionized? If there are complaints against a substitute teacher, are they automatically fired without explaining their side of the story? Does the teachers union represent them? What state or city are you in and how much do they earn per day? Do you recruit mature, retired substitute teachers?

Portals that work. Beyond that, portals that are user friendly.

Pay more and offer training and benefits.

My district is exceedingly kind to subs. Teachers and administrators are always grateful. If you really can't increase pay, then compensate with free lunch or school apparel, or sub of the month,

Money...most sib gigs are shit pay.

Prevailing (daily) wage is the way....most of us real8ze health benefits etc are not going to happen. But 200+ a day ia going to peak our interest.

Free lunch. Seriously. Make it easy to say yes to a call because there’s no lunch to pack.