Ohio moves to keep letting high school graduates substitute teach
Centerburg Local School District hired moms with high school diplomas to work as substitute teachers. Strongsville City Schools recruited college students. Whitehall City Schools asked administrators and office staff to cover classes.
“For the last two years, every school in Ohio has had days when they have been unable to find substitute teachers,” Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, said.
But many of those substitutes—especially those without college degrees—wouldn’t have been allowed in the classroom if lawmakers hadn’t relaxed state requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Temporary teachers had to pass background checks, but districts could waive most other preconditions such as requiring substitutes to have a college degree..
Schools, especially those in rural parts of the state, jumped on the change.
“When you live in Appalachia and you have a four-year degree, you’re probably going to be working a full-time job somewhere,” Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, said. “You’re not going to be looking to substitute teach.”
The law expires in June. And even though COVID cases are on the decline, Jones said the substitute shortage shows no signs of stopping.
What does House Bill 583 do?
That’s why he and Bird introduced House Bill 583. The legislation would continue these one-year substitute educator licenses through June 2024. It passed the Ohio House 76-9 Wednesday.
HB 583 goes to the Senate next, and one of Ohio’s largest teacher lobbying groups hopes it will get a few changes.
“There may be some flexibilities when it comes to short-term subs, when someone is in the classroom for three or four days,” Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro said. “There needs to be a lot more scrutiny when it comes to longer assignments.”
And the Ohio Federation of Teachers said in a statement that “relaxing requirements for substitutes can not be a permanent solution.”
Compensation, recruitment and listening to teachers leaving the profession all need to be considered here, OFT President Melissa Cropper said.
She was pleased HB 583 picked up an amendment to study why the pool of substitute teachers keeps shrinking. But that wasn’t enough for some Democrats, such as state Rep. Joe Miller, D-Amherst.
“I oppose this,” the former teacher said, “because it has a negative impact of replacing teachers out of the classroom for a long period of time–up to an entire school year–with a poorly trained non-qualified substitute.”
Anna Staver is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
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