WEST JORDAN, Utah — The number of substitute teachers needed in Utah schools continues to rise as more and more spots go unfilled.
That's why the Jordan School District is now incentivizing up to $500 just to start being a sub.
It's a program that Copper Hills High School Principal Bryan Veazie hopes works well.
He says between one and three positions go unfilled every single day.
“Last year was probably the most difficult year in the history of education and that this year is likely the most important,” Veazie said. “[They] are tired they really didn’t get the break that they need. We find that with those empty positions that it becomes quite a scramble.”
Across the district there are 200 to 300 sub positions a day. Every day they come up short and teachers and faculty must cover where they can.
“If they have the time available and if they have an interest in doing something outside the box, I encourage them being a substitute teacher,” Veazie said.
Jordan District Communications Director Sandy Riesgraf also added, “This is a great time to try it out. See if you like it and maybe you like working in our schools.”
The program is called the “Temporary Substitute Teacher Incentive Pay Program.” It will provide temporary incentive pay up to $500 for substitute teachers who work a required number of days between October 25, 2021, and December 15, 2021, without canceling an already accepted substitute teaching job according to the district.
Ultimately for the district they say, “We hope this program will relieve some of the impact on teachers by attracting new substitute teachers, incentivizing and increasing the availability of current substitutes, and reducing cancellations.”
