This school year, HC as well as the entire Fayette County school district has faced a number of challenges related to a shortage in substitute teachers. Issues relating to the shortage in teachers available have resulted from teacher absences and an overall lack in substitute teacher availability. HC front office worker and administrator Jessica Muddiman explains her role in assigning substitute teachers at HC, and analyzes the teacher shortage from her perspective.
Muddiman uses the Smartfind Subfinder system to assign and place substitute teachers. She also contacts potential subs over unfilled jobs.
“Each day when I come in I get into the Smartfind Subfinder system,” Muddiman said. “The subs are already placed. If a sub has picked up an absence, it tells me who is coming. I also have some contacts of subs that I personally know, so if I have an unfilled job, I’ll contact those subs and assign them a job if I have one open. If [those subs] can’t work and there’s not a sub assigned to the job, then I have to fill those empty jobs with teachers that are in the building.”
Difficulties navigating the Smartfind Subfinder system are a potential reason as to why substitute teachers have trouble claiming jobs.
“Some subs have complained that the system is not user friendly on their end,” Muddiman said. “Some of them say that when they click they’re not available some days when they really are available, so it doesn’t allow them to pick up the job.”
Muddiman also believes that the sub shortage is not subject to HC, but is a nationwide ordeal.
“I think we have trouble finding subs just because there’s an overall teacher shortage nationally,” Muddiman said. “I think it’s just a nationwide problem.”
Looking forward, pay incentives and rewards for subs will help address the problems related to teacher shortages.
“I think offering incentives to subs on [days where there will be significant teacher shortages] is a great way to get them in here and get them working,” Muddiman said. “Days like [Election Day], we had quite a few teacher’s out.”
