I'm considering a long-term commitment to substitute teaching. Would like to hear what others who have done it for several years (or know people who have) think about it. Mostly, I'm wondering about its sustainability as a career. Thank you.

I'm the sub administrator at my high school. I have a few subs that are in long-term sub jobs, some for the whole year. They're good with it since they're retired.

I've been subbing for several years, and I’d say it depends on what you're looking for in terms of stability. Some districts treat their long-term subs really well and offer more hours, while others are hit or miss. It’s sustainable as a career if you enjoy the work and can get enough assignments, but it’s not always easy to predict. If you're in it for the long haul, try to build strong relationships with school districts to increase your chances of getting consistent work.

I'm not currently a sub, so maybe this isn't the perspective you're looking for, but as a long-term career plan, I can't see why anyone would do it. You take on all the responsibility of a full time teacher without full time pay and benefits, more often than not at least.

A fair number of schools in my area, including mine, are short on subs, meaning that regular teachers are covering each other's absences. As much of a pain in the 🫏 as that is, you'd think it would serve my own self-interest to encourage as many people as possible to become subs. Knowing what kind of aggravation subs go through, however, I can say for sure I wouldn't want to do it for double the pay.

If there is not a significant bump in pay to do the longterm position I wouldn't recommend it. In a longterm position you take on lots of additional responsibilities. Our district pays an extra $20 or so per day for longterm positions which is so small for the additional planning, grading, meetings, etc.

In Denver public schools, as a long-term sub, you make $30 an hour, and as a daily sub, you make $28 an hour. They will give you some bonuses at the end of the year if you work so many days. It depends on your debt/ monthly expenditures and if you can afford to do it. I left my kindergarten classroom in 2020 and haven't retired. I've been working as a daily sub and have taken several long-term Subs in The Last 5 Years. I could do this because I don't have a lot of debt. I have been a daily sub in several schools and gotten to know teachers and principals. Who has asked me to apply for a long-term sub or asked me if I would be interested? I always negotiate some of the expectations that are expected of me. For example, I asked who was going to be in charge of the weekly progress monitoring and they decided that the literacy coach could do that. I asked about report cards and parent-teacher conferences. The literacy coach did report cards and I was on vacation for teacher conferences. I told them that the only way I could take that job was after the vacation I had already planned and they didn't have a problem with that. I am a bilingual sub and in very high demand in my district. I was compensated for staff development meetings before I became the long-term sub. But these are the things you have to negotiate before you take the position. March 21st is my last day in this long-term position before spring break. I did ask to be paid for parent-teacher conferences last month and they agreed that that was fair. After spring break I plan to work 3 weeks in April before I go on vacation to Mexico for 2 weeks. Then, when I come back, I will work the rest of May as a daily sub. I hope to retire in June of 2025. I usually teach summer school but chose not to this year. However, I have been very fortunate to teach summer connections for the last 3 years for five or six weeks. The salary was a regular teacher's salary, which was great, and I formed great relationships with the kids and teachers/ admin. The curriculum and training was doable. I had my own classroom for 17 years, and I've been a guest teacher for the last five, but I feel it's time to retire. As a long-term sub in Denver public schools, you are eligible for free healthcare, and you do have to pay for dental and vision if you decide to add that. But as a daily sub, you are not eligible for any kind of healthcare, which I really don't need since I have Medicare presently. I usually only sub in kindergarten or in early childhood classes ECE. I have been very fortunate to have a full-time paraprofessional with me in the classroom, which helps with instruction, and behavior and helps build relationships with students. Now that the Fair Act has passed I will be entitled to all of my social security. I am thinking I can now afford to retire with my Social Security and my teacher pension. So good luck to you. It's been a fun ride, but I think it's time for me to take a break from education. Gentle parenting, student behaviors, education funding,, and teacher expectations have changed. You just have to do what's best for you!

I’m substituting full time now. I love it because I work at about 7 different schools and I can decide what my day will look like. And I have more time to work on personal pursuits and become an entrepreneur. Also, there are no papers to grade, no lesson plans, no meetings, and no emails with stakeholders. Con’s: low pay, no benefits, and no way to maintain certification without doing it on your own (here in PA, the state offers free courses, it’s just that you can’t take them through your district and get paid for it). I say go for it if you’re wanting to set yourself up for a career change, or if you already have a spouse that’s the primary breadwinner. My story is that I quit my teaching job mid-year because my supervisor was a tyrannical, incompetent, manipulative, dishonest psychopath.