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Vendor pitch: ESS proposes managed substitute-teacher program, offering training and onboarding incentives
Summary
ESS presented a managed services proposal to Woodland Hills trustees, offering benefits, paid credentialing, recruiter support, local outreach, and a four-week implementation plan to build a larger substitute pool and permanent building-based substitutes.
Representatives from ESS (Educational Support Services) pitched a managed substitute-teacher model to the Woodland Hills School District board, stressing recruitment, training and local outreach to increase substitute fill rates and building-based permanent substitutes.
Jeff Hite, introduced by a district host as ESS’s vice president of operations, described the company’s approach: “We’re not a staffing company. We really are a managed service company,” he said, adding that ESS provides training, credentialing and follow-up engagement for substitutes. Hite said ESS pays for credentials — TB tests and background checks — so substitutes do not incur out-of-pocket costs.
Nut graf: ESS proposed recruiting locally, providing mandatory training, reimbursing technology fees for district platforms, offering incentives (including referral bonuses and small onboarding gift cards), and a four-week transition plan to onboard the district’s current substitutes into ESS’s platform.
Presentation highlights included a referral program that pays $100 for successful recommendations, paid credentialing up to $125 per substitute, and a pledge to reimburse the district’s Frontline licensing fee if ESS is engaged. ESS said it provides ongoing outreach to subs and principals (check-ins at day 1, 3, 10 and at 30/90 days) to improve retention and fit. The company said it could support permanent building-based substitutes and noted that the district’s current substitute pay rate (described in the presentation as among the highest locally) would help recruitment.
Implementation details: ESS outlined a four-week onboarding timeline, a local recruiting plan tied to community events and school functions, and a plan to offer in-district training sessions for new substitutes (6–8 hours mandatory). The presenter said ESS is already active in multiple nearby districts and offered to share references.
Ending: Trustees asked clarifying questions about scope (positions covered, training, local recruiting) and next steps. Board members requested follow-up materials and contact lists from ESS to evaluate the proposed contract.
