Teacher shortage sparks change in substitute credentials
CVUSD has been in a teacher and substitute teacher shortage as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the CVUSD school board has modified the credentials required to be a substitute teacher, opening up the opportunity to people who previously would not be able to teach.
For instance, the pay rate for working the one to ten days for the district as a substitute has increased from $125 to $205 for a full day. The rate increases for each tier, going up to $250 for a full day after providing the district 61 days of service.
The Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for CVUSD, Jeanne Valentine, provided some background information as to the origin of the shortage. “There is a high demand for a qualified work staff; however, the candidate pool of applicants has decreased. In addition, some of our substitute teachers are unavailable because they are caring for a vulnerable child or parent and so, due to COVID, are unable to report to work,” Valentine said.
Combined with fast-tracking substitute applications, Valentine hopes that the changes will aid in alleviating the demand for teachers. “Along with an increase in pay for our substitute teachers, we believe the new processes will alleviate staffing issues to some degree. Currently, we are already seeing an increase in substitute teaching candidate applications that we believe will lead to an increase in the number of substitute teachers available on a daily basis,” Valentine said.
