KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Michigan was already facing a shortage of substitute teachers, and that was prior to a pandemic.
This close to the school year, substitute teacher Hillary VanDam said she usually has her semester planned out. That includes getting a student list, class list, and signing up for different sub jobs.
That's not the case this year.
"I have two days lined up," said VanDam, "I usually have 20 to 30."
VanDam substitute teaches at districts all across Kent County, and sometimes Ottawa County. She thinks the reason she doesn't know how many days she will work this school year comes down to teachers not knowing when they will be taking time off.
In Kent County, each district has varied reopening plans for Fall. Some have not released what they will do in about a month.
"It's nerve wracking not knowing if I’m going to be needed, or over-needed, or how it’s going to work," said VanDam.
Last year, Michigan State University's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research released a report on the substitute teacher shortage. In previous years, before the pandemic, it found around two-thirds of districts reported they have trouble finding substitute teachers. 64 percent of were not able to find subs multiple times a week.
"There’s a huge shortage of substitute teachers, even in a normal, regular situation. Now, it’ll be even more difficult to get them to come in," said VanDam, "Why are you subbing? Because a teacher was sick? Or because he teacher had a previous engagement?"
VanDam said she's prepared to sub in-person or virtually, as she had done in the Spring semester last year. However, she's also considering a few other options, like starting a group teaching pod at her home.
The unknown situation is also causing a strain financially.
"We rely on that," said VanDam, "And I know that’s for not only teachers, but sub teachers, the secretaries, and everything like that. It’s stressful."
VanDam is also a mother to a child starting kindergarten and another in pre-school. She and her husband have not yet decided what they will be doing for Fall.
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