Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Substitutes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SFUSD outlines recruitment, training plan as city grapples with substitute‑teacher shortage
Summary
A May 12 hearing examined substitute coverage across San Francisco Unified: the district reported roughly 823–846 active substitutes in recent years, an average coverage rate near 91% (target ~99–100%), and identified transportation, pay ($150/day) and training as top barriers. District plans include targeted recruitment, paid professional development, and vendor/technology updates.
Supervisor David Campos convened the committee to examine a growing shortage of substitute teachers and its classroom impacts. San Francisco Unified workforce analyst Stephen Gordon and executive director Angie Sagastume presented data showing 823 active substitutes in 2014–15 and 846 in the most recent year; the district reported an average coverage rate of about 91% for teacher absences during August 2014–April 2016 and substantially lower averages in hard‑to‑staff cohorts (Bayview ~81%).
Gordon summarized a district survey (≈380 responses) showing substitutes’ primary barriers are transportation, pay and classroom conditions; 58% reported driving to school, 27% using bus and 10% walking or biking. Angie Sagastume outlined a four‑part strategy: strengthen recruitment, build hiring pipelines (institutions of higher education and paraprofessional pathways), offer paid professional development to retain long‑term substitutes, and upgrade the daily operations/automated system to make assignments and class information clearer.
The committee discussed practical supports including SFMTA parking and permit programs and the potential for city agencies to convene a working group. Substitute representatives and union leaders urged paid training, better assignment information, and use of long‑term day‑to‑day substitutes for continuity. The district said reaching 94–95% coverage would require roughly 300 additional substitutes and that hiring and retention remain challenging in the high cost of living environment; the district said it hires about 200 substitutes per year but that retention and pipeline development are key.
The committee voted to file the item and directed staff to convene a working group with the district, MTA and labor representatives to develop strategies.
