Teacher shortage; Sub incentives

School districts across the US are starting to pay substitute teachers more and make it easier to become a sub – in an effort to keep classrooms operating. However, some teachers are outraged by the recent pay raise of substitute teachers. The Gresham-Barlow School District is currently paying substitutes $34.37 an hour while only needing their GED. In comparison, first-year teachers with a bachelor’s or master’s make between $26.67 to $34.25 an hour. Some Barlow teachers will still be making less than substitutes up to their seventh year of teaching under their current contract. The Gresham-Barlow School District is still negotiating a long-overdue pay raise for the teachers. As of right now, substitutes are getting a pay raise that is only temporary to get people to substitute classes because of the national teacher shortage. 

A staff member, who chooses to remain anonymous, says, “It is not fair at all although we do not get healthcare, a 401K, paid leave right or personal days and job stability for our job.”  

While this is very true, due to their recent pay raise, teachers are getting frustrated with the school board. A teacher at Barlow states, “there will be, without a doubt, a strike soon.” The district still hasn’t decided on a pay raise for teachers. For months now, this has been going on, and teachers are getting impatient.

Substitute teachers all over the nation are in a considerable shortage. In order to keep schools open. They have needed to create a pay raise for substitutes to get them to work. This is the pay raise they have obtained; they are also getting hazard pay for Covid. Although teachers are not, one teacher says, “there needs to be a raise for all.” Substitutes do not have to go through all the things teachers do to become a substitute. Teachers had to go through many years of college. Some think there needs to be a pay raise for teachers and everyone in the educational program.

”The district needs to work on the teacher-to-district relationship more,” an anonymous staff member says. Both teachers and substitutes have a rough time getting respect from students, although substitutes are more likely to get less respect. It is now more important than ever to have substitutes in buildings because of the massive shortage. So, this pay raise is necessary to keep schools running, however, everyone deserves a raise.

Hopefully, more teachers will be willing to work when the district decides on a raise.Teachers and substitutes are both equal in value, and this nationwide problem is risking a lot of people in the education system.