Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Medford Chipotle not among chain's Northwest closures ... One man dead, one in custody after convenience-store shooting ... Rain in the valley, light snow higher up ... Medford Chipotle not among chain's Northwest closures ... One man dead, one in custody after convenience-store shooting ... Rain in the valley, light snow higher up ... EDUCATION Substitute teachers are in short supply Districts must use administrators, classified staff and outside help to cover absent teachers By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 31, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 31, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The pool of substitute teachers in Southern Oregon has taken a serious hit as qualified substitutes take full-time teaching positions created by the improved economy and the implementation of full-day kindergarten. Last week, the Medford School District did not have enough substitutes to go around. On three days, either an administrator or a specialized teacher — for example, a music teacher — had to step up and fill the opening. “We are trying to think outside the box to bolster our sub crew,” said district spokeswoman Natalie Hurd, adding that the district is looking for people with a license, people who had licenses that expired and are willing to renew their license, and people who have a bachelor’s or master’s degree and a passion for working with kids. Earlier this year, the district hired 35 of its substitutes to fill new kindergarten teaching positions, as well as positions created by its initiative to reduce class sizes. And now it needs substitutes, especially with flu season just around the corner, Hurd said. The district currently has 186 substitutes, but 60 of those are shared with neighboring districts and others are on maternity leave or are available only on a certain day each week. District officials have begun encouraging classified staff with a bachelor’s degree to get a Restricted Substitute License through the state. As of Tuesday, 11 classified staff had completed this process, which involves an application, an exam, fingerprinting and getting a letter from a sponsoring district, and had been hired as substitutes. (Substitutes with a Restricted Substitute License can’t work more than 10 consecutive days in the same classroom.) “We’ve never recruited our own classified staff for substitute positions before,” Hurd said, adding that substitute teachers are paid $174 a day. “We’re also looking for subs to support teachers in the classroom because if our classified staff are substituting, then we’ll need subs for them,” she added. Every district in Jackson County, except Medford and Pinehurst, contracts with the Southern Education Service District for licensed substitutes. And for the first time in about two years, SOESD is accepting applications to be added to the substitute pool, said Howard George, SOESD's business manager. Since the beginning of the school year, SOESD has managed to provide subs for about 98 percent of 3,500 teacher absences. “We’ve had about 57 jobs we couldn’t fill,” George said. “Essentially, the system couldn’t fill it so the school district or site had to make other arrangements to cover the classroom.” The majority of the absences, George added, are because teachers are out of the classroom for professional development. In Central Point, at least two principals have had to teach a full day. And in Phoenix-Talent, administrators are trying to be strategic when scheduling professional development. “We don’t do professional development on Mondays and Fridays because that’s when more people are absent and subs are scarce,” said Superintendent Teresa Sayre. In September alone, there were 10-and-a-half sick days taken by teachers, and it’s not even flu season yet, Sayre said. On Tuesday, Eagle Point Superintendent Cynda Rickert emailed key communicators in the area seeking full- and part-time classified substitutes for instructional assistant, custodial and bus driver positions. “It’s not more dire than usual, but we are trying to be more proactive in filling those positions,” said Allen Barber, the district's human resources director. “However, I’ll tell you as an HR director, that from a national perspective, the teacher shortage and the substitute shortage is going to get worse.” Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt . By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 31, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501