Who’s subbing the subs? Omicron wreaks havoc on Samo staff
Hawene Alemayahu, Staff Writer
Karen Radford begins her day early. By 5:30 a.m., she has usually checked the Frontline website, SMMUSD’s substitute management system, to find out about any staff absences and who will be coming in to fill them. And by 5:45 a.m., she has sent out her often frantic emails to the Samohi staff announcing how many class periods are still uncovered for the coming day, and pleading for teachers to help by giving up their prep periods to cover those unfilled spots.
An integral part of all organizations is their staff; they collectively work towards group goals and projects. A developing struggle many organizations face is the ongoing shortage of team members. This problem is largely apparent in schools, especially due to the rise of COVID-19 cases. According to a study done by the Learning Policy Institute, 80 percent of California schools, almost four out of every five, are affected by teacher shortages.
The lack of substitute teachers is not a new problem. The role of the substitute teacher is to supervise students temporarily while their regular teacher has gone away. The job is also notoriously known for its instability and low pay. The Bureau of Statistics recorded that the national average wage of a substitute teacher is $14.12 per hour in 2018. Incidentally, Indeed.com reveals that Californian substitute wages are between $15 to $19 an hour, most falling near the state’s $15 minimum wage. SMMUSD substitute teachers, though, fare a little better. The SMMUSD-SMMCTA contract specifies that substitute teachers be paid a daily rate of $144 with higher wages for preferred and long-term substitutes.
COVID-19 has exacerbated the situation; with teachers absent because of the virus, the demand for substitutes is higher than ever. The solution at Samo is for core teachers to temporarily replace those that are absent during their prep periods.
At Samo, teacher absences and substitute designations are managed on a website, Frontline/Aesop. This site allows teachers to mark their own absences, and on those days selected substitutes are sent to classrooms. However, in response to the shortage of substitutes, teachers are asked to volunteer their prep periods to cover missing substitutes. Samo’s office assistant Karen Radford explains how her job of marking and assigning subs has become more difficult this year.
“Here [Samo], I have to get coverage from other teachers. The first day back there was 17 periods that I had to fill, which meant I had to call teachers and ask them to cover. But I mean, it’s a nightmare. If there’s no one available to cover a class. . . And that’s what I’ve been doing for 25 years and it’s never been this bad,” Radford said.
Typically, teachers use their preparation (or prep) period to catch up on grading, create class plans and organize their classrooms. Recently, teachers have found themselves piled up with work and in need of their prep periods back.
Students have had to adjust to scattered learning due to the inconsistency. Nadia Smith, a French teacher at Samo, comments on the impacts the substitute shortage’s impact on teachers.
“Substituting for teachers does take away from my preparation. I usually use the time to plan for my classes, but now I am left with extra work. But at this point we need to help out each other and be there for the kids. We need to keep things going here,” Smith said.
The number of classes at Samo that need a substitute, but cannot get one due to the shortage.