School district sees surge in substitutes

The days of the Maricopa Unified School District struggling to find enough available substitutes are long gone, as applications are flooding the district from people wanting to supplement their income or pick up a possible part-time job while they continue to look for full-time employment.

The growing district has seen a recent surge in the number of substitutes it has in its database increase from 100 last school year to 165 this year.

“It’s amazing the number of people who come through the doors asking about becoming a substitute,” said Heidi Fawcett, the district’s human relations director.

Although Fawcett said the number of substitutes the district has at its disposal is increasing, she added that there is no indication that longtime substitute teachers are finding it more difficult to pick up days.

“Teachers have their favorite subs, so they are always going to request that person,” Fawcett said.

Despite this requesting of particular substitutes, nearly all of the substitutes registered with the district have been able to pick up work when they wanted it.

“I would say 99 percent of our subs get the work they want,” Fawcett said.

School officials attribute the rise in the number of substitutes to the rise in unemployment.

“A lot of people being laid off need work,” Fawcett said.

For those who are looking for a part-time job, substituting can be an enticing option. To become a substitute teacher, a person must hold a bachelor’s degree and pass a background check. Substituting pays roughly $100 a day.

Substitutes are used to fill in when teachers become sick or must leave campus to attend a workshop, meeting or attend a student competition.

“It is great to be getting so many highly qualified subs,” Fawcett said.

Photo by Michael K. Rich