Second-year MA student Walt Stallings, a long-term substitute teacher, wrote an engaging article for Chalkbeat about how the pandemic affected subs, an often overlooked yet exceedingly crucial job in the education system that is at risk. In true pandemic fashion, I exchanged emails with Walt and asked him a few questions to expand on his article.
What drove you to write the article — any one time where you just knew this had to be addressed or was it gradual burnout/realizations?
“I’m very interested in labor and worker activism. In many ways, I think Chicago teachers and particularly the Chicago Teacher’s Union have been at the forefront of a new national wave of very successful, progressive activism and advocacy. As a non-union, outsourced teacher at a unionized school, it is often very clear to me how thin the safety net is for educators in my position. I feel our role is critical and I wanted people to be aware that there is a large contingent of school workers making relatively low wages without the option for employer health insurance. It’s a precarious position to be in.”
You note that the school you work at is particularly a good environment for you as a sub. Is there anything (outside of the people) that other schools could adopt to make online teaching easier for subs and full-timers alike?
“Higher wages and the option for salary for long-term subs! The biggest difference between working day-to-day sub positions and long-term assignments like the one I have is the amount of work that needs to be done when the school day is over. Much of that work ends up being done without compensation since the position is hourly. I feel like the sub shortage could be lessened if potential subs felt they were being paid adequately for their work.”
Is there anything you have learned as an online sub you think you would have missed in person?
“I think teaching online has largely been a reminder that students are an incredibly diverse group of learners with a wide array of preferences and comfort levels when it comes to learning. Some students who are shy in person have really thrived online. The opposite is true as well. Being online has forced me to frequently reevaluate my methods and curriculum to make them more student-forward. It has made my teaching more multi-modal by necessity. I think those are both things I will take back into the classroom.”
Like many other essential works (and everyone really), Walt has experienced a lot of hardship at the hands of the job market, and in ending his piece, he made an astounding remark. “Without a reform of our pay and benefits, I believe that many substitutes (including me) will walk away for good. Though we truly appreciate the gratitude, we are unable to live off of it.”