Good substitute teachers aren’t babysitters or chair warmers — they’re teachers, who have the weighty responsibility to carry out lesson plans and inspire learning in students.
That’s why it makes sense that USD 259 is requiring all 800-plus substitutes to take the same kind of teaching aptitude assessment that regular teachers take.
The Gallup TeacherInsight Assessment, which measures intangibles such as motivation and love of teaching, has been criticized by some as incomplete.
It’s a valid concern. For instance, the test doesn’t measure subject matter knowledge — that’s also vitally important to teaching success. And with good teachers at a premium, the district can’t afford to write off any promising candidate based on a single test.
But with substitutes often taking over in a classroom for days, weeks or even months, it’s also important to ensure that they’re up to the job.
The test should be seen as just one of several tools used to gauge a teacher’s classroom readiness.
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Looks like Eagle editorial writer, Randy Scholfield, prepared his comments BEFORE the regular school board meeting last night.
According to this morning’s Eagle, the USD 259 “School Board suspends substitute testing,” to which I would add the word “wisely.” According to the Eagle’s article, “the teacher insight test measures values and behavior, not subject knowledge.”
In other words, the test has no “validity,” an important consideration in any serious testing procedure. This test is purely subjective. Grading is based on the opinion of the test grader who might not be qualified to make those judgments.
In reality, this type of test merely adds an unneeded expense and increased level of bureaucracy to the USD 259 educational system.
Substitute teachers work for considerably less pay. They are paid perhaps 20% or less than regular teachers for comparable work. And substitutes receive no benefits, insurance, sick leave … or snaks.
Hopefully, substitutes do this because they really enjoy teaching new skills to young people in the classroom setting. Many substitutes come from other professions or perhaps from the teaching profession itself.
What is really needed are “valid” training courses for substitute teachers geared to various levels of teaching in elementary, middle or high schools with some comment on subject matter.
Also a pay variation is needed to reimburse substitutes for the level and type of courses they teach.
Here’s something from the article in this morning’s newspaper addressing this subject that I found interesting:
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” said board member Barb Fuller, who proposed suspending the requirement until the board can discuss it further.
Fuller said she didn’t know about the change until she read an article about it in Sunday’s Eagle.
“I’m just shocked,” she said. “I think we should have had discussion … and I’d like to see it on hold until I know what’s going on.”
Ed Raymond, assistant superintendent of human resources, told board members the district’s contract with Gallup for the TeacherInsight survey was approved in January.
Items on the Jan. 28 consent agenda — the portion of each board meeting designed to expedite routine business — included requests for $10,000 and $45,000 for Gallup to test administrators and certified teachers. Neither item mentioned testing substitutes. [close quote]
———–
Please read this carefully fellow voters!
Sometime, whenever their make up their minds(?), they will ask us to vote on a huge school bond issue. They are trying hard to keep hidden many facts that might help us make our decision on the merits of that vote.
But here’s what I want you to note — the school board approved (on a consent agenda designed to expedite routine business!) expenditures of $10,000 and $45,000 back in January. At least one board member doesn’t remember any of this and wants to discuss it now.
How often are expenditures approved without discussion?
How often do members of the board have no idea of what they are approving?
Does the right hand have any idea what the left hand is doing?
Please remember these are the caretakers of the money they take from us! And they aren’t taking care of what they’ve got so why would we trust them to take care of more?
Let these words sink in!
the school board approved (on a consent agenda designed to expedite routine business!)
this is a portion of EACH board meeting
We need many answers on much of our money is currently wasted!
We need to be absolutely sure they don’t have the opportunity to waste more!
This isn’t about our schools or our children. This is about the people who can’t be trusted to be the caretakers of our schools and our children!
…..First off, this testing of substitutes is just plain stupid. There is already a major shortage of substitute teachers and this little twist will only make the situtation worse. I’m not sure too many people understand the implications of not having a substitute to fill a teacher absence, but that is another discussion.
…..Now, about the BOE action on this issue last night………….
I will have to come to the defense of Barb Fuller and the other BOE members. The expenditures authorized on the consent agenda back in January were “requests for $10,000 and $45,000 for Gallup to test administrators and certified teachers.” How can one fault the BOE for not knowing that NOW the HR department wants to test substitutes as well? I think some investigation would be in order to find out why HR intended to proceed on a course of action not specifically authorized by the Board.
Any item on the “consent” agenda can be pulled for discussion. In a large organization like USD 259, this is how it works. BOE meetings would be endless if there was a discussion over how many pounds of peaches were ordered, napkins needed etc. True, some of these consent agenda items need to be scrutinized, but let’s be realistic.
I’m being realistic! It’s my money too.
Part of my questions about our current “set-up” involve can a district this size be managed efficiently? What options have been explored?
Who has the right / responsibility to put items on the “consent” agenda?
I would think an item that had been previously scrutinized and had no changes might be expedited in this manner.
To me this is another example of waste. How many are there?
Too much is hidden and we see too many missteps even with much being hidden. Lay all the cards on the table before you ask me for more.
I do NOT trust the multi-layers of “administration,” and will continue to have questions until answers are provided. ALL answers to ALL questions, not just the ones they choose to provide.
How many are paid as teachers who have no classroom responsibilities? Let’s look at that figure for starters of hidden waste.
Then let’s look even deeper. This school board made Martin Libhart who had been in charge of facilities (those they say aren’t adequate or maintained…) the acting superintendent. Their reason was because he was most familiar with the bond issue AND there were qualified people to handle the issues his experience and education didn’t fill.
So, I need to know why we need a superintendent? Qualified people to handle already in place…
???
I have more questions. No one seems to be willing to provide answers.
Does a subject matter have to make the newspaper before the board asks questions?
“How many are paid as teachers who have no classroom responsibilities? Let’s look at that figure for starters of hidden waste.”
THIS is a very good question and I think the answer will infuriate you. My estimate is 250-300. They call most of these people “Learning Coaches”. I’m not even going there.
In case you couldn’t tell, I am infuriated! I suspect a few more answers (which I won’t be given!) would send me off the edge.
I do have an audience — neighbors, friends, associates… I won’t stop bringing up these questions until they’re answered.
The people I know VOTE!
What other questions do you have Linda?
I’ll get back to you with more. I have a lunch date and just returned from walking the dog (BOY it’s steamy!) so better jump in the shower. You may not want to encourage me.
For starters. How many people are employed by the district and office at the administration bldg. How many layers? What’s their average salary without taking into consideration the other costs of employment?
How many other office buildings across the city are full of layers of “administration” and whatever else they might be called? Any guess on these numbers of peoples and what their average salary is?
I am PRO teacher but it seems to me they are at the bottom of the barrel and aren’t given what professionals of their caliber deserve. I’m NOT just talking money here, but working conditions, respect, ability to use their education and experience to help our children learn and succeed. Our teachers impact our students after they’ve jumped all the hurdles put in their way. This is NOT what I want to throw more money at!
lindainks55, you have asked some very good questions.
The school board should have asked more questions about the items on the consent agenda. They could look then over before the meeting and be prepared to ask questions at the meeting.
The school board is not doing their job. Barb Fuller why didn’t you pay more attention? The press obviously did a better job than you and the board did.
Quite frankly, the less than 10.00/hour is a tad low, but most do it for supplement income. At least that’s how it was when I was an Emergency Substitute teacher.
If there is a long term substitution, then those teachers should be tested academically and for aptitude. What I mean by long is a semester or longer; a major portion of a semester.
I’m pretty sure they try to get long term substitutes from a pool of their retired school teachers or those who have actual teaching credentials.
It’s not a bad part time job. It is inconvenient though as they call you without notice at 5 a.m. or so, expecting you to be in the same morning to some school, some where and substituting for some kind of class.
Just one former substitute teacher’s opinion. :)
The 250 – 300 (I agree there are at least that number) “learning coaches” from what I’ve heard spend much of their time in meetings which seem not to be beneficial to anyone. There are some who collect data. Is that data used? How? What are the others doing outside of meetings? They aren’t providing anything to our students and I can’t find where they might even be helping our teachers. Can you imagine what benefit it would be if these teachers (they are qualified and paid teacher’s wages!) actually helped either students or teachers with their classroom responsibilities??
Would $40,000 be a fair amount to use as an average wage? I think it’s a low-ball figure. Multiplied using 250 would give us an ANNUAL cost of an even MILLION dollars. That, of course, doesn’t count the other costs of employment which could easily be half that amount. So ONE and ONE HALF MILLION ANNUALLY spent on those who are hidden in the budget as “teachers” but have NO classroom responsibilities. So in ten years that would be an expenditure of FIFTEEN MILLION dollars.
Where else is our money being spent and hidden from view?
What about all those levels of administration? The levels that aren’t even in our schools!
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