Board presses staff to create pathway for recent graduates to work as substitutes
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Summary
Board members flagged policy language that requires a high school diploma plus five years of verifiable work experience (or an AA/60 semester hours) to qualify as a substitute, arguing it excludes many recent graduates; staff will return with HR options and parameters at Part 2.
Board members told staff March 31 that the district's substitute‑teacher policy effectively excludes many recent high‑school graduates who might be recruited into the teaching pipeline.
A board member described the policy pathway: "hold a high school diploma or equivalent and 5 years of verifiable work experience" is one route; alternatives include an AA degree or 60 semester hours. The member said that combination made it "literally impossible" for an 18‑year‑old recent graduate to meet the work‑experience route and urged the board to create alternative pathways, at least for non‑high‑school placements. The board discussed verifiable experience examples (Sunday‑school teaching, day‑care, camp counseling) and training options the district could require of prospective substitutes.
Staff counsel and other board members noted part of substitute services are contracted through ESS, which sets its own minimums, and cautioned that vendor minimums could limit district flexibility. Board members asked HR to examine options and to consider guardrails (e.g., limiting young substitutes from high‑school classrooms, adding training requirements, or creating a future‑educator elective pipeline) before the item returns to the Part 2 policy session in one month.
Superintendent Brewer and staff agreed to gather HR input and bring an edited proposal back to the board for the next work session.
