I am writing about district substitute availability. I have taught ESL English as a Second Language in the Salt Lake School District for a little over a year, and I was to go to a teacher training workshop recently. All the other ESL teachers but one in my school had gone to this training, and although I was reluctant to leave my classroom for three days, I thought it was worth it for our students to have the consistency of a uniform approach to discipline, which they desperately need. It was not to be.
When I called the sub office that morning to see if there was a sub for me, the answer was no, there were already 22 teachers whose absences wouldn't be covered.I have never heard of a district which was not equipped to routinely cover the illnesses and professional development it requires of its teachers. A school is not a factory, and effective teaching does not happen just because teachers show up.
As it is, in previous situations when I was ill in this district but couldn't get a sub, either I stayed at school, endangering my health as well as that of my students and teaching poorly to boot, or other teachers, aides and administrators covered for me, throwing their own abilities to meet their work loads and responsibilities into jeopardy. Neither of these is an acceptable alternative.
It is unconscionable to leave teachers in this limbo.
I am a professional. I work hard under already adverse conditions to educate some very needy and marvelous children, and I do not make the decision to miss school for illness or for professional development lightly. I wish my district respected my ability and my intentions enough to pay substitutes a decent wage. Perhaps then enough people would want to be subs, so that all the teacherless classrooms in this district could be covered each day without resorting to triage.
Abigail Breiseth
Salt Lake City