This editorial represents the unanimous opinion of all 15 Outlook editors.
From paternal leave to extended illness, Aragon often employs long-term substitutes to cover classes amidst teacher absences. The combined teacher and sub shortage has led to adverse effects on the availability of long-term subs for Aragon classes. This predicament is particularly pronounced in higher-level classes, where a lack of educators with specified credentials or experience results in reduced educational opportunities; ie. Advanced Placement-specific teachers can teach students specific strategies for the AP test. The editors of the Aragon Outlook believe that Aragon, the San Mateo Union High School District and the Californian educational requirements surrounding long-term substitute teacher policies should be reformed to better support students.
To be a substitute teacher for California, one must meet educational requirements and pass a background check. Specifically, subs must have a bachelor’s degree in any subject, score above a 500 on the SAT in either English or Math, score a 3 or greater on the College Board AP English exam and AP Calculus or AP Statistics, pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test, and pass Commission on Teacher Credentialing Live Scan fingerprinting (Form 41-LS). However, the majority of teachers in the district have Emergency 30-Day Substitute Permits, rather than credentials, which last for a year and are renewable.
Long-term subs are supposed to have degrees in the specific subjects they’re teaching, but due to shortages, this is rarely the case. During the pandemic, Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order extending the time that a long-term substitute without a specific degree in the subject can teach a classroom, allowing up to 60 days. The order was extended in a trailer bill in Sept, but remains insufficient. While the law is intended to encourage districts to find credentialed experts to fill positions, districts often resort to employing a second, or even third sub without credentials to fill the time. Therefore, not only are students further disadvantaged by substitutes unfamiliar with the coursework, but also, they also have to adjust to a new teacher, often with different grading, testing and classroom policies. This policy should be modified to avoid such loopholes.
Individuals with the necessary credentials usually choose to serve as full-time teachers, leaving sub positions empty. Unlike teachers, substitutes are not offered benefits, receive significantly lower pay, operate without contracts, lack union protections and can be pressured into stressful situations — teaching two classes at once, covering extra periods, and more. However, long-term substitutes are only paid more after 25 days. The most effective method to truly increase the number of substitute teachers to fulfill the demand is increasing their pay and providing baseline benefits. These benefits have already been offered to subs in the past — for example, to incentivize teachers to work as subs after retiring, the district offers them health benefits.
Aragon teachers are more familiar with the school rules, how to use Canvas, and students in general, and most importantly, can provide a better education to students, and thus are preferable to outside substitutes. When Aragon teachers cover others’ periods, they’re paid more than outside subs, which at face value appears to be a strong incentive, but the district discourages Aragon teachers from subbing as a way to save money — at the cost of a student’s education.
Aragon teachers are the school’s greatest asset. Last year, when computer science and math teacher Kris Reiss took eight weeks off to recover from surgery, math teachers Carly DeMarchena and Cheri Dartnell, and AP computer science and math teacher Lisa Kossiver subbed. When AP Psychology and Modern World History teacher Jessica Hardy was out on maternity leave, AP Psychology teacher Carlo Corti was able to help out. As his prep periods overlapped with Hardy’s AP Psychology classes, he taught her class how to answer Free Response Questions for the AP test, something an outside substitute teacher would lack the insight to help with, and opened up his Flex to her students as well.
Alternatively, another possible solution would be to offer long-term substitute opportunities to student teachers in training, allowing them to teach as a long-term substitute in order to complete the qualifications for a full teaching degree. As they could obtain an Emergency 30-Day Substitute Permit and have a background in teaching already, they would serve as more qualified applicants.
