Small Colorado School District In Weld County One Of Many Facing Difficulties Trying To Get Substitute Teachers
WINDSOR, Colo. (CBS4) - Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts across the country have had a difficult time finding staff across many positions, especially drivers and substitute teachers. In larger urban areas where there are more people to recruit the issue has been a little more simple to address. However, in rural communities the task of finding more talent can be more difficult.
The Weld RE-4 School District is among those in northern Colorado rural communities working to recruit more people to work as a substitute. Full time teachers are not as much of a concern to the district. However, when more than one or two teachers call out for the day sometimes it can be challenging finding someone to fill their spot.
"To keep kids in person we really need them," said Kelly Johnson, Principal at Range View Elementary in Severance.
Weld RE-4 serves Windsor, Severance and parts of Greeley. Principals from different levels of the education system told CBS4 they have had a hard time finding new substitutes, while also trying to replace previous substitutes who are older Coloradans.
"It is a big deal," Johnson told CBS4's Dillon Thomas. "It is a worldwide problem and we are feeling it right here in our district."
"A lot of our subs are elderly and didn't want to take the risk of getting COVID," said Michelle Scallon, Principal at Windsor High School.
The district's board of education recently made the decision to get rid of their mask mandate for students, instead replacing it with a mask recommendation unless positivity rates within the school exceed 5%.
The district isn't seeing concerning levels of COVID positivity among students. However, when teachers are unable to come to class the district has to be creative with how they are moving forward with lesson planning.
"Just the other day we had seven (teacher) absences and many notices came in just before the bell," Johnson said. "There are small groups that are going to get canceled. There is going to be lesson plans that don't get to be followed through."
The district has increased their pay to remain competitive in the region. Some qualified substitutes could make more than $150 a day for their services. The district says it has also made it a priority to make guest teachers and staff feel welcomed. They often times will give out school swag, free lunches and sometimes even give shout-outs to the guests over the intercom. The district also boasted of its willingness to accommodate schedules and sometimes even allow a guest teacher to leave early if they have a previous appointment.
In the situations where they cannot find subs, sometimes school administration has to step in.
"I've covered classrooms before," Johnson said.
"I will go in and cover classes, my admin team will cover classes. We will combine classes. We will do whatever it takes to keep our kids in school," Scallon said. "The ultimate goal is to keep kids in school, because we saw what happened when they were home and it wasn't good."
If you live in the region of the Weld RE-4 district and would like to work as a substitute either in our out of the classroom visit weldre4.org.
