This is the second story in a two-part series examining changes in paraprofessionals, special education and substitute teachers since the start of the pandemic.
As substitute teacher shortages persist across the nation, Eudora still struggles to find enough workers to fill in for paraprofessionals but has better luck finding subs for teachers.
The district was able to get paraprofessional substitutes just 30% of the time in November and 43% in December.
Comparatively, substitutes for teacher slots filled 90% of the time. Before COVID-19, the average was about 98%.
The shortage in Eudora has improved overall, according to school officials, but the district is working to bring in more subs through new techniques.
Where does Eudora get subs?
Problems with finding substitute teachers started to improve last year, said Angela Hunt, a program director for Morgan Hunter. The staffing agency provides substitutes to 11 districts, including Eudora, De Soto, Lawrence and Baldwin City.
However, there is a need for more subs since teachers are taking more time off in general because they are more stressed out and have a lot on their plates, Hunt said.
She said districts use outside companies to find subs since the companies can commit all their time to finding high-quality workers. Morgan Hunter uses techniques like going to college career fairs, advertising on social media and offering referral bonuses to find potential employees.
Some college students with classes half of the day can help sub the other half, and stay-at-home parents can work when their kids are in school. Retired military or corporate employees come sub as well, she said.
“So we’ve really tried to hone in on those areas, those types of people that will really enjoy the flexibility of making their own schedule, and I think that’s what’s really helped us to find more substitute teachers,” Hunt said.
Hiring paraprofessional subs is always more difficult and the main reason is the lower pay, Hunt said. As a result, these spots sometimes need to be filled with general education substitute teachers.
When a sub isn’t available through Morgan Hunter, Superintendent Stu Moeckel said there is always staff willing to step up and help out.
Director of Human Resources Amy Shanks said the district continues to struggle to find enough paraprofessional subs, though.
“So what we have done is prioritize those positions that need to have someone there and then have been a little bit more creative on how those rooms are covered with other staff or even principals, in some cases, have went in and covered for parents when they’re really, really short,” Shanks said.
Filling para openings has been an issue across the state, especially with the unemployment rate reaching 4%, Moeckel said.
“I think there’s more jobs than there are people out there even and so I think it’s always gonna be a struggle,” Moeckel said.
Shanks said she is optimistic there will be an increase in fill rates as they continue to find more permanent paraprofessional hires.
The district is still working on other ways to make these positions more attractive.
The benefits of subbing
Making subbing attractive and easy to do for retired education professionals in the community has also been a priority for the district, no matter if they’re available once a week or every day, Moeckel said.
The option provides a flexible job while still having a rewarding impact on education, he said. The district is fortunate to have a significant number of retirees who regularly sub, he said.
Regular substitute teacher Steve Ricke retired from a sales job to re-enter the education scene seven years ago. He originally graduated with a degree in education and went on to teach high school math before leaving the teaching field.
He’s subbed in most every classroom in the elementary school but has dedicated most of his time the past several years to being a full-time paraprofessional sub in the preschool.
Ricke isn’t from Eudora but wanted to work in a small-town school. The kids are what keep him coming back and the atmosphere in Eudora. He hasn’t considered subbing anywhere else.
“I mean, they’re all really, really special people, and they treat me very specially like I’m part of the group and so it’s enjoyable,” he said. “From a classroom standpoint, I really enjoy working with the kids and from just coming to this school with the staff and everybody is just so helpful and so friendly.”
Ricke feels it has been harder to get subs since the start of the pandemic, but said it seems like the issue has been better recently. He recommends young people get involved with the field in some capacity to see what education is all about.
When students greet Ricke even after only meeting him a couple of times, it reminds him how special the job is.
Several years ago when Ricke was subbing in a kindergarten class, a few kids were making paper airplanes during an independent work time. Some were struggling to get their planes in the air, but with Ricke’s help, he had the entire class shooting their planes all over the room.
“I really thought that was probably the end of my subbing career because the teacher was going to say you can’t be having kids throw paper airplanes all over the classroom,” he said.
Instead, the teacher was supportive of the lighthearted activity.
“Again, why I enjoy subbing here is just the support like that and even kind of off-the-wall things that people are comfortable with me at least having tried something like that,” he said.
Ricke said he loves working in such a “remarkable” place and will continue for a while even if it’s just part time as he ages.
Retaining subs
On an average day, Morgan Hunter sends about 15-20 substitute teachers to the district.
Subs in Eudora are paid $120 for the day, or $20 an hour for under six hours. Paraprofessional subs are paid $13 per hour.
The district is trying to strategize how to decide what para positions need to be prioritized for sub requests in hopes that the fill rates can be better, Shanks said.
After a phone tree reaches out to potential subs, the spots left unfilled are sometimes covered by other building staff, Shanks said. Teachers who fill in for other classrooms are compensated for their additional time, which incentivizes the sub work a little more.
Since there is more staff at the elementary school, it is a little easier to see missing paraprofessionals there, Moeckel said.
The district has tried to stay competitive with pay for subs, especially since Morgan Hunter also provides subs to nearby districts like Lawrence and De Soto. They have been helpful in making sure Eudora can present competitive pay, Moeckel said.
During the pandemic, districts were able to use the temporary education authorized license program to help with the shortage.
This tool gave districts the discretion to hire after looking at applications and granting a temporary license. The district vetted individuals and added a handful of subs during the initial shortage, Shanks said.
More than anything else, it was a way to raise awareness of the need for subs, Moeckel said, and everyone they hired would probably have qualified under Morgan Hunter’s standards anyway.
“Ultimately, we’re not going to put anybody in a classroom that we don’t feel would be safe with our children. So right, you still have the ultimate decision, but I think it probably brought more awareness of it than anything else,” he said.
That program was extended until the end of the 2025 school year.
Helping retain existing subs by making sure they feel prepared and supported when they arrive in classrooms is an important part of making sure there are ample subs for the district, Shanks said.
It also helps teachers with work-life balance to know they can take a day off and not worry about classes falling behind.
“The stronger you can make your culture, the more people want to be involved in it, and so we hear from staff and from subs all the time how much they love it here,” Moeckel said. “That goes back, they tell other subs. And so the idea then is that they’re able to share our story and say what a wonderful place Eudora schools is, and then there’s no hesitancy for them to feel like they are wanting to come back.”
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected]
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