A Roadmap to Substitute Engagement

A substitute doesn’t become first-rate on accident. It takes work, planning and administrators who step into the shoes of the substitute.  To get there, tackle some of the nuts and bolts of structure: put processes and procedures in place to create direction and accountability to for substitute teachers. Do so by writing job descriptions with clear responsibilities and processes that must be followed. Create rewards for a job well-done and accountability measures if guidelines aren’t followed.

  Accountability is a good thing.

Administrators worry that requiring substitutes to follow procedures and policies may discourage them from seeking work in a districts. But the opposite is really true — people leave jobs when there aren’t any expectations.

Just as they benefit from clear directions when they show up at a school for the first time (“Where do I park? Where do I report to when I arrive?”), knowing what the district requires of them is as important to substitutes as it is to your other employees. Unknowns can feel even more acute for substitutes, who already face uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations every day. Alleviate much of this by clearly spelling out what’s expected of your substitutes.

 Structure helps your district solve issues and achieve goals.

If your district has a shortage of qualified substitutes, for example, think through what processes you can put into place to address it — such as requiring your substitutes to work a minimum number of days. At Clarksville-Montgomery School System, we required our substitutes to work 10 days out of their first 30. Doing so showed belief that substitute teaching was important, and increased our fill rates.

 Structure helps your substitutes achieve their goals.

Clear expectations — and the benefits of meeting those expectations — will mean higher motivation and engagement among your substitutes.

In one school system, substitutes started off with a probationary status and were issued a laminated ID badge. By working for 10 out of their first 30 days, they advanced to full substitute status, received higher placement (and a better chance of getting jobs) in the absence management system — and received an official plastic ID badge with a photo. That seems like a small thing, but you’d be surprised how many substitutes wanted that badge, and worked to get it.

 Take it seriously.

Beyond communicating the rewards of meeting expectations, school districts also need to be clear about what happens when they’re not met. This practice:

• Builds credibility and viability in the process,
• Encourages your employees to take the expectations seriously,
• Shows them that substitute teaching is important to the educational mission of your district.

Take, for example, a district that requires substitutes to work one day a month, or one day a semester. Is that really showing pride in the process? Does that really communicate that you value your substitutes and believe what they do is important? Requiring substitutes to work 10 out of their first 30 days, it said, “We believe what you do matters.”

 Communicate clearly.

Use tools that help you communicate with your substitute pool, like Frontline’s Absence & Time, to ensure your substitutes understand the structures you’ve put in place. Share orientation information and sessions, onboarding packets, and link to resources on the district’s website for them. Just as importantly, communicate with your schools about this. Without them, these structures you’ve worked so carefully to create are just theoretical. They need to be talked about and lived out at the school level to be effective.

Enacting these policies, procedures and processes may seem like small steps to take. But don’t view them simply as bureaucratic items to check off your list. They’re important parts of a roadmap to help your district achieve its educational goals, and to enable your substitutes to move toward higher engagement and a better career.