As more workers lose their jobs, substitute teacher pools in school districts around the state are reaping the benefit. Urban and suburban district HR administrators find their sub pools packed with new applicants, many of them with top-notch qualifications.
Districts in the Houston area are experiencing a 30 percent increase in their sub pools as out-of-work professionals flock to them in hopes of finding temporary work. The same is true for Dallas-area districts, and no doubt for districts in other large population centers around the state. Many applicants have excellent qualifications and some have advanced degrees (think law, business administration, or finance) but can’t find work in their field. The increase has brought in so many applications that some districts have capped their substitute pool for the school year.
Hard economic times frequently bring an abundance of substitute applicants to districts. Geoffrey Smith, the founder of the Substitute Teaching Institute at Utah State University, said when the job market turns, as it did after Sept. 11, 2001, people seek out substitute jobs as a way to earn money and test the teaching waters. Smith recently conducted an online survey that indicated that 60 percent of school districts have seen a jump in substitute applications.
Subbing is a fairly easy option for out-of-work Texans to pursue. Texas doesn’t require substitutes to have college degrees, though some districts require sub applicants to have earned a specific number of college credit hours. Applicants also have to pass a criminal background check.
HR Services’ Salaries and Benefits in Texas Public Schools survey indicates that subs earn anywhere from $59 to $102 per day depending on their qualifications. Nondegreed subs earn the least: a statewide average of $59, barely more than the minimum wage. Degreed subs earn slightly more (a statewide average of $66 per day). The pay goes up again for subs who are certified (a statewide average of $73 per day). Long-term subs earn the most (statewide averages of $86 per day for degreed subs, $102 per day for certified subs). Substitutes generally do not receive benefits.
District HR administrators hope that those who find working with kids more rewarding than what they were doing before will consider teaching as a full-time occupation. Many pursue teaching certificates through alternative certification programs, which are designed to attract career changers.
Even if most subs view the work as temporary employment, their contribution is a boon to districts that struggle to find subs for all absent teachers. They can be choosy about which sub they assign to each classroom.
—“Substitute for job security? Yes, many,” by Ericka Mellon, Houston Chronicle, Jan. 27, 2009.
—“Dallas-area jobless turning to substitute teaching,” by Matthew Haag, The Dallas Morning News, Feb. 14, 2009.
—“Substitute teaching applications surge,” by Janice Lloyd, USA Today, March 11, 2009.
