Spring ISD raises pay for some substitute teachers

SPRING, Texas -- In hopes of having an easier time filling substitute teacher requests, the Spring ISD board of trustees approved a temporary pay increase for substitute teachers who take assignments at six middle school campuses during its Oct. 8 meeting.

While certified substitute teachers and noncertified substitute teachers at all other SISD campuses receive $105 per day and $90 per day, respectively, those who take substitute teaching assignments at any of the Lift 6 middle school campuses will receive $115 per day and $100 per day, respectively.

Lift 6 is an ongoing district initiative to improve its six comprehensive middle school campuses, including Bammel, Bailey, Claughton, Dueitt, Twin Creeks and Wells middle schools; all of which received F's in the Texas Education Agency's 2018-19 accountability ratings, with the exception of Twin Creeks, which earned a C.

Chief Human Resource Officer Deeone McKeithan said the pay increase stems from a substitute shortage at the middle school level.

"It is a temporary increase for those campuses only because we are having the most difficulty filling substitute requests for those schools," he said.

McKeithan said substitute teachers have noted multiple factors as to why they left the field, including to accept full-time employment both in and outside of the district. When a substitute teacher request is unable to be filled, McKeithan said classes often have to be split between other teachers.

The most recent pay increase, however, is not the first step SISD has taken to make the district more attractive to prospective substitute teachers. McKeithan said SISD had already increased substitute pay districtwide by $15 per day during the 2018-19 school year to become more competitive with neighboring districts.

By comparison, this year, Klein ISD approved a $5-per-day pay increase for degreed and certified substitute teachers and a $3-per-day pay increase for nondegreed substitute teachers. Likewise, Cy-Fair ISD approved a $2-per-day increase for certified or degreed substitute teachers in 2018-19.

In addition to increased pay, McKeithan said the district recently lowered requirements for substitute teachers to offer opportunities for those with at least 48 college credits.

"By incorporating the aforementioned, we hope to see an increase in staffing quality and retention," he said.

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