Many schools face the challenge of covering for absent teachers. In 2015–16, 28 percent of teachers were gone 10 or more days out of the school year (Harwin, 2018), which adds up to a full year of substitute teachers by the time students finish school (Adams, 1999; Pardini, 2000). As the substitute teacher shortage increases, so does the need to find a way to fill positions with high-quality substitutes.
States have made a variety of attempts to widen the pool of applicants. Substitute requirements vary by state, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Some require a bachelor's degree in any field; others only require a high school diploma or GED. Although the latter opens the pool to additional candidates, these candidates are not always qualified and may have little to no experience working in classrooms. What hasn't changed is that children deserve high-quality substitute teachers who have experience in both pedagogy and classroom management.
In Nebraska, the Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium (MOEC)—which includes area superintendents, human-resources representatives, district leaders, educational service units, community colleges, and the University of Nebraska Omaha—has focused its efforts on the substitute shortage affecting the community.
All 12 districts in the Omaha metropolitan area had substitute shortages in multiple classrooms every day. Two districts reported an average of 15 absences per teacher every school year. Most districts had also seen increases in unpaid leave.
The consortium's solution? Create a supported pathway for local preservice teachers to fill the districts' gaps—and give those teachers valuable classroom experience in the process.
Removing Roadblocks
The consortium decided that substitute experience in the classroom would provide a foundation for preservice teachers to grow while also increasing the substitute pool. As leaders in the University of Nebraska's field experience office, our role is to connect districts with teacher candidates during their path to certification. Preservice teachers often tell us at the end of the program that they want more experiences in the field, especially with classroom management. We hoped the consortium's partnership idea would fill their classroom management needs.
The first roadblock was deciding when preservice teachers were ready to substitute. Putting them in a classroom before they are ready can deter them from the field of education or not serve students well. Other roadblocks included the cost of a local substitute certificate, which was $55 per district; and the individual letters for each local substitute that superintendents were required to submit to the state. For example, the cost of just one preservice teacher who wanted to substitute in all the consortium districts would total $660 and require 12 superintendent letters.
The consortium worked with the Nebraska Department of Education to create a special substitute certificate for preservice teachers who attended the University of Nebraska Omaha. Known as the Teacher Opportunity Project, the certificate ($55 total) allows any preservice teacher who completes a minimum of 15 coursework hours and 60 hours of coached field experience to sub in any 11 of the 12 districts. And because all teaching candidates undergo a background check upon entry to the university's College of Education, superintendents no longer need to write a letter to the state.
Cost was also a concern. It's common for other programs in the state that are also putting preservice teachers into substitute positions to charge for the training. Because many of the students are under financial constraints, the Teacher Opportunity Project received support from experienced teachers in the consortium's CADRE Project, an accelerated master's program, to offer free training. Those teachers, who split their time between the university and district schools, developed an online substitute-teacher training program within Canvas. Preservice teachers interact with tools, documents, reflective questions, videos, and presentations on professionalism, classroom management, instructional models and strategies, survival skills, and application procedures at no charge. They also receive the district's full substitute compensation rate.
In addition to the online support, preservice teachers can bring their substitute field experience into the program's coaching spaces. Although no direct coaching is done while preservice teachers substitute, they bring context and questions into future coursework, practicums, seminars, and coaching conversations at the university.
A Win-Win-Win Situation
Last fall, the Teacher Opportunity Project ran its first pilot with 20 preservice teachers. In the spring, the university began online substitute training in all teacher education courses. More than 80 students have expressed interest in the program so far this school year.
Although substitute experiences do not replace field hours for preservice teachers, they add more opportunities to practice and refine skills. One student who completed the program had more than 60 substitute opportunities throughout the school year. She shared with the consortium how valuable the experience was for her teaching skills, including classroom management and confidence. She felt the program created a stepping-stone for her first full year in the classroom.
In turn, the school districts have been able to fill more empty positions as preservice teachers receive valuable experience. It's especially beneficial when the teachers are in the classroom for a field experience and can continue to work with the same students and colleagues as they start their career.
Nebraska's solution is providing a model for other regions' similar programs. With the positive response from both participants and districts paired with the growing need for substitutes, this is an opportunity not to be missed.
It's a win-win-win for districts, students, and educators, as well as our future teaching force.