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Teachers and substitutes urge Elkhart Community Schools to address pay, staffing and missing social‑studies texts
Summary
Several teachers and a long‑term substitute told the Elkhart Community Schools board on Sept. 9 that chronic vacancies, large class sizes and lack of social‑studies textbooks in upper elementary grades are harming instruction and teacher morale; speakers asked the district for a substitute pay tier and clearer communication about staffing.
Sean Simmons, a long‑term substitute at Westside Middle School, told the Elkhart Community Schools board on Sept. 9 that substitutes who take on planning, grading and classroom management are not compensated at a level that reflects their responsibilities. "My value and the value of other substitutes cannot be measured on a spreadsheet alone," Simmons said, and urged the district to create a substitute tier system that recognizes long‑term substitute work. "We need action," he said.
Julie Gunn, a first‑grade teacher at Oslo School, told the board families and teachers are worried about large classes and lost sections at her school. Gunn said special‑education and…
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