Substitute Teachers Needed in Area Districts

By Gary Scott on February 9, 2017 at 1:04pm

Area school districts are in desperate need of additional substitute teachers.

The Regional Office of Education, which serves Adams, Brown, Cass, Morgan and Scott Counties is requesting more assistance for a number of schools in West Central Illinois.

Regional Superintendent of Schools Jill Reis says many schools are in need of substitute teachers on a daily basis.

“We need substitute teachers, substitute bus drivers and para-educators. When educators get sick and they are unable to be there, we know that the learning still needs to happen and so we need qualified people in those rooms to help assist in those situations. Many people substitute on a short-term basis, so we always need more. What happens in a situation when you cannot get a substitute, then sometimes you have to split a classroom between two other classrooms, and that’s not optimal,” says Reis.

Recent reports show the need for substitute teachers affects a large number of schools throughout Illinois.

Reis says the state government has made the process of becoming a licensed sub easier.

“They reduced the application fee in half.because the need is so great. If you have a bachelor’s degree, it’s a fantastic opportunity who are just out of college and haven’t settled on a position yet, or people that are in between jobs, and especially people who are retired. You can control your own schedule, if you’re able to work, you can say you’re available, and if you’re not, you wouldn’t have to go,” explains Reis.

She explains how people can become a substitute.

“You can call the local school district you’re interested in and they’ll send you to the Regional Office of Education. You fill out an application online with the Illinois State Board of Education, then you come to ROE for fingerprinting and a physical and we get you set from there,” says Reis.

Learn more about substitute teaching by visiting the Illinois State Board of Education website, or by contacting the Regional Office of Education at 243-1804.