Substitute teachers needed in Michigan during COVID-19 pandemic

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    FLINT, Mich. (WNEM) — Substitute teachers in many school districts are relied on when a teacher calls out sick or has to take time off.

In a world of COVID-19, substitute teachers may be needed now more than ever.

One substitute teacher within Kearsley Community Schools says he almost couldn’t guarantee he would return this year.

“With COVID and everything that goes along with it, things can change in an instant,” said Chad Mosher, a premier substitute teacher at Dowdall Elementary School.

School has looked and felt different for teachers, administrators, parents, and students.

Mosher said this year will feel different for him too.

“This age group, it’s very hands-on and they’re very tactile in the way they express things with themselves and with others,” Mosher said. “I don’t expect that to happen and it kind of hurts me because that’s something I look forward to.”

Being a premier substitute, Mosher reports to work every day even if he isn’t filling-in.

“I believe the goal in having a premier sub, this particular day and age, is to guarantee that if something was to go down, or there needs to be some sort of quarantine or some sort of issue that has to be reconciled, there will be a body in the there that can fill whatever absence needs to be filled,” Mosher said.

Michigan has been faced with a substitute teacher shortage long before the pandemic.

Now, COVID-19 is adding more pressure this time around.

“I can’t blame any other teachers, substitute or otherwise, for not wanting to return in this environment,” Mosher said. “I would not be surprised if we end up with a continued shortage this year.”

Mosher typically heads into a brand new year with sub-plans laid out ahead of time.

Not this year, he says subs will be needed on a whim.

“I expect there to be more of a ‘on a moment’s notice’ this year,” Mosher said.

Mosher just hopes for tolerance for this new way of school.

“I just hope everybody is patient with their child’s school system this year and their educational plan this year,” Mosher said. “Everybody is trying their best, everybody is trying to make their way through this craziness. I hope there can be patience to be had for everybody”

Mosher also adds that since Kearsley is currently conducting school through a hybrid model, he may be needed to fill in virtually. That adds a whole other layer to education for substitute teachers in 2020.

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