Courtesy Photo A banner for the ESS, a substitute teacher and staff placement group, encourages people to apply to be substitute teachers.

ALPENA — Substitute teacher shortages are an ongoing problem, not only in the Alpena area but across the state.

According to Nichole Keyes, the area manager for ESS, a substitute teacher and staff placement group, the company contracted by Alpena Public Schools for substitute staffing, the sub-fill rate at APS for the current school year is 71%. Ideally, that figure should be 90% or higher.

That means only 71% of teacher absences are successfully filled by subs at APS.

APS currently has 175 active subs. On any given day, those subs can work in the APS schools, or district schools including Alcona, Hillman, and Atlanta, as well as at other jobs.

On Tuesday, APS had 50 scheduled absences. That figure does not include absences in the other districts, which goes to show that there is no shortage of spots to fill.

Keyes said that ESS has implemented multiple strategies to try and solve the shortage.

“There used to be one person in charge of the entire state,” she said. “They hired four more people, so now there’s five.”

Keyes is one of four area managers. Each area manager oversees a section of the state and resides locally. That way, area managers can show up at community events and recruit new substitute teachers.

Keyes has held recruiting events at Alpena Community College, local libraries, and job fairs. ESS also uses social media and Indeed to spread the word about the perks of substitute teaching.

Incentives that ESS provides to substitute teachers include health insurance coverage and a 401k plan. Any member of the community, even if they are not employed by ESS, can refer a friend to apply and earn $100.

Additionally, ESS holds a monthly raffle for substitutes who work five or more days during the month, according to their website.

Kate Benitez, a fifth-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary, has witnessed the shortage of subs firsthand. She has noticed that there are difficulties at times with finding a sub to cover.

However, Benitez said she appreciates the dedication of the substitutes who do show up.

Lincoln Elementary now has a floating sub who has helped cover classes on short notice, she said.

Dan Wakeman has had a positive experience as a substitute teacher. He has worked with students of all grade levels in the APS system.

As a retired man, he sees substitute teaching as a way to stay connected to the community. He was actively involved in the community prior to retirement and wanted to continue to add value.

“Children are the future,” Wakeman said. “If you have the patience and the interest to make a difference, substitute teaching is a great option.”

He appreciates the variety of classes he is able to teach. One day, he will teach a junior high woodworking class, and the next he will teach high school English literature.

Keyes said in an email that some subs are leery about covering Alpena High School and Thunder Bay Junior High due to stigma about behavior issues.

However, Wakeman said that he has not experienced any major behavioral problems in the APS system.

Teachers make clear sub plans that prepare subs well for the day. The principals and other support staff are very supportive and appreciative of the work that subs do, Wakeman said.

He would recommend becoming a substitute teacher, especially for retired folks. It is a good way to give back their time and talent, and the application process is not difficult, in his opinion.

Liz McNichols has also had a positive experience as a substitute teacher in Alcona. She has substituted for all grade levels.

McNichols started as a sub for the gym teacher. As she came to know more of the teachers, they asked her to sub for their classes as well.

This year, she started subbing more for special education classes.

“I really enjoy it,” she said. “I like sitting down one-on-one with them and helping them be successful.”

In standard classrooms with more students, it is difficult for McNichols to personally connect with students as she can in smaller special education classes.

In general, she said that teachers always leave really good notes and instructions for subs. In McNichols’ experience, behavioral issues can sometimes stem from kids’ schedules being thrown off by a different face in the classroom.

To mitigate this, teachers try to keep the schedule as similar as possible for the substitute. McNichols said that teachers and other staff at the school prepare subs well if they come across any issues with student behavior.

If you like kids, believe in education, and have enough patience, subbing may just be for you, McNichols said.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.