Salem Boosts Pay For Substitute Teachers

SALEM, MA — Salem Public Schools has given another bump to the pay rate of substitute teachers as the district looks to cover classes amid the latest coronavirus surge.

The Salem School Committee voted on Tuesday to increase the rate to $130 per day for a regular school day and $150 per day for extended-day substitutes. The new rate will go into effect on Monday and will stay in effect through the rest of the school year.

"These are among the most competitive rates in the area," the district said.

The district has been especially hard hit with teacher absences at the middle school and high school level during the last month of the omicron surge. Some classes in the high school have been brought to the cafeteria or auditorium for study hall periods because of lack of coverage.

While Superintendent Steve Zrike said at Tuesday's School Committee meeting that he believes that the absence trend has begun to turn around, the rate increase is designed to make Salem an attractive option in what has been a tight market for substitute teachers throughout the school year.

Anyone interested in becoming a substitute teacher in the district is encouraged to contact humanrescources@salemk12.org or 978-740-1115.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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This article originally appeared on the Salem Patch