Law to bridge substitute teacher shortage seen as a short-term approach

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed a bill that allows schools to pull from administrative staff to address the substitute teacher shortage.

The new law temporarily allows trusted staff members such as secretaries, paraprofessionals and others to work as substitute teachers until the end of the current school year, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Local superintendents welcome the move but add that it is a Band-Aid approach to address a wider problem.

“This is a welcomed and important, short-term fix to a difficult problem, and I am happy about it. We need to also see measures that will fix the bigger issue of encouraging people to seek teaching as a profession again,” Superintendent of Tecumseh Public Schools Rick Hilderley said in an email. “Things like better starting pay, class size reduction and accountability measures will need to be addressed in the coming months.”

Superintendent of Britton-Deerfield Schools Stacy Johnson agreed.

“Although this does address the immediate need, it doesn’t address the issue in the long term. Our secretaries, paraprofessionals and other staff members are certainly adults who can be entrusted with our students in the classroom. These individuals are familiar with our students and are well versed in the daily operations of the school. I don’t have one member of my support staff that I would hesitate to place in a classroom with our children,” Johnson said in an email. “However, delivering new instruction and managing a classroom on a daily basis requires highly qualified, content specific certified staff. The bottom line is — teachers and educators need to be paid their worth and education needs to continue to be placed at the forefront. Funding one of the most important facets of our society — education — can’t be a one or two year ‘deal.’ It needs to happen every year, every district, every child—continuously. We have to … pay highly qualified educators their worth. We have to fund public schools. Until that happens — placing a sub in a classroom puts a bandaid on the issue.”

Whitmer said in the news release that education is her top priority.

“Making sure every child in Michigan has access to a high-quality public education is my top priority, which is why this year we made the largest investment in K-12 public schools in Michigan history without raising taxes,” she said. “The pandemic has been challenging for our children, teachers, and parents, and our educators have gone above and beyond to ensure Michigan’s children have a bright future. Allowing schools to employ school staff that students know as substitute teachers will help keep school doors open and students learning in the classroom the rest of the school year. I am committed to working with the legislature to develop high-quality solutions to address these staff shortages long-term so that we can ensure that every child is able to access a quality education.”

COVID-19 issues continue to play a role in the substitute teacher shortage in school districts throughout the state, educators said. But there was already a shortage before the pandemic began.

“Michigan already faced a severe educator shortage prior to the coronavirus pandemic,” Paul Liabenow, executive director of the Michigan Elementary & Middle School Principals Association, said in the release. “The pandemic has only exacerbated that shortage by further hindering school districts’ abilities to fill vacant positions and keep buildings open, placing undue stress on educators already working tirelessly every day to ensure all students in Michigan receive quality, in-person instruction. House Bill 4294 will provide districts with additional flexibility to fill substitute teaching vacancies so students can continue to learn in a safe, supportive environment.”

Morenci Area Schools Superintendent Mike McAran said in an email that his district is already pulling administrative staff into the classroom and has raised the substitute pay rate. Tecumseh has also raised its substitute teacher pay rate.

“I find it ironic that the State of Michigan finally realizes that a shortage exists,” McAran said. “Morenci Area Schools has raised its sub rate to $140.00 and advertised for full time substitutes, had teachers teach on their planning periods, and pulled principals into the classroom. This is a stopgap solution but by no means does it solve the problems facing schools in hiring and keeping teachers.”

Superintendent of Adrian Public Schools Bob Behnke agreed in an email that this measure by no means is a permanent fix to the problem, but a welcome short-term solution.

“We have been fortunate in most cases to maintain a solid line of substitute teachers this year at APS. While this new law is a quick fix and short term band-aid, I am happy of some added flexibility to continue to provide in-person instruction for students,” Behnke said. “I do not anticipate many changes, if any for APS under this law.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Law on substitute teacher shortage seen as a short-term approach