Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic World Wide SHUTDOWN a RAISE in PAY is needed in dealing with today's economy SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS  (alternative teachers) have secondary sources of income such as TWO JOBS to meet and SURVIVE daily life demands. We ask support for substitute teacher raise in pay to adequately be able to keep up with current times.

Contact: substitute.pay.increase@gmail.com

Petition for Substitute Pay Increase was started for and by HCISD Substitutes. PETITION is NOW OPEN to ALL DISTRICTS as we realize this is a TEXAS WIDE and NATION WIDE issue as we were all affected by the changes the pandemic had on the economy. We encourage other districts to join our cause.  As you all know we have gone through a terrible pandemic since 2019 which remains. Many of us, like yourselves, lost family members including spouses, close relatives, friends, work colleagues, businesses and livelihoods as they once knew.
 
 
“The economy has not recovered and most economists don’t expect a full recovery for years to come.”
 
 
When the 2020 school year started last fall, we were asked to come back and many of us, FEARFULLY but BRAVELY, answered that call.

"We woke up every morning before the Covid-19 vaccines were available and we performed beyond our normal duties than in previous years."

We learned new technology and needed devices in order to perform our jobs. Many of us had to go out and buy our own devices, because there were none available at the time. There were MANY days when we handled TWO ZOOM classes in ONE CLASS period and plenty of subs were doing grades, calling parents, emailing with counselors and handling lesson plans. Everyone was in unchartered territory and in many ways we still are.
 
During Fall 2020 subs decided to get together and request a pandemic pay raise Across the Board for All Subs.  We were very thankful to have been given consideration, put on the agenda and ultimately received a bump in pay, but it was only approved for long-term substitutes (10 consecutive days in the same job). Sadly, the other brave substitutes that came and worked hard during Covid-19 received nothing extra for regular daily assignments. 
 
Now here we are in Fall of 2021 and substitutes surely thought our pandemic pay would’ve stayed in place or even increased like other school districts across the nation, but that was not the case. Many of us were getting early calls from multiple schools trying to fill positions and we were ready to take on long term assignments under the impression that our extra pay remained in place, so finding out that it was dropped right before school started during our annual substitute training was a huge let down. Since we are still under a pandemic and now that classes have resumed face to face at full capacity, we have seen a wave of new issues, workload, challenges and responsibilities that are weighing on our own physical and mental health. To have such low pay with such high responsibilities and workload is unbalanced and seems unjust.
 
Like TEACHERS, a SUBSTITUTE  carries the responsibility of a teacher once he or she enters the classroom.
 
“Some countries like New Zealand refer to SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS as ALTERNATIVE  TEACHERS because of the amount of work and high demand they are in because of TEACHER SHORTAGES , substitutes are now the ONLY TEACHER a student may SEE for their class all YEAR LONG serving countless LONGTERM assignments.”
 
These are challenging times for everyone involved in education and our students desperately need consistency in the classroom. Many are acting out and getting worse (all ages and levels) and having a different substitute every other day or week does not help matters. Everyone from top to bottom is pulling their own load, as well as extra loads. We somehow need to bridge the gap, because quite honestly, we don’t know how the next few years will be and educators have been retiring early, teachers resigning, substitutes have left.

"Education is not for the faint of heart!"
 
Often, we miss getting a conference because we are covering other classes and it’s not uncommon to only have time for one restroom break throughout the day. This is commonplace for all school levels and in case you haven’t heard, Mondays & Fridays are notorious for being on the chaotic side. Schools must fill spots due to sick call ins, athletic competitions, field trips, trainings, testing, and many other reasons, on top of having a substitute shortage!
 
“So, imagine if you will, having to cover 3-4 classes at once with only another substitute or helper in the cafeteria or gym or being shorthanded on a playground full of children, or monitoring 2 PE classes in a cafeteria by yourself at a middle school. These are just a few scenarios that have occurred. Whether it be 50 students or 100 students, that’s too much responsibility and liability for pay being received. For example,
 
 a  “DEGREED” substitute with pay of $100 a day, comes out to $12.50 an hour which is comparable to the pay of some FAST-FOOD restaurants and RETAIL stores jobs. ( jobs available with no college degree) 

A “Certified Teacher” substitute with the pay of $120 a day, comes out to only $15.00 an hour. It’s EYE OPENING  when you think about it.”
 
“What we are asking for today, is an immediate emergency amendment to the school year budget with the aid of millions of dollars from ESSER funding, along with retroactive pay…”
 
 for Fall 2021 thus far. We are deserved of a pay raise, just as HCISD staff was deserved of their pay raises and stipends that they are and will be receiving. We ask to be heard immediately just as we responded and came to work in a pandemic.

 Waiting for a “survey” is not going to tell you what we deserve to be paid and what’s it’s like to be a substitute or a teacher today unless you are currently one of the two. We’ve even heard stories from teachers that they were told there are no subs available and good luck getting one. If you ask a principal, teacher, substitute coordinator, substitute or other staff member you would soon find out this is a matter of Now, not next year. 
 
A few months back, in our local news, BISD and PSJA stepped up and raised their substitute pay across the board. PSJA for instance, has adopted their new pay scale for the next two years, with an evaluation after set time. The new pay rates at PSJA are realistic to what substitutes should be making for years to come. We humbly ask that you take their lead and review these rates that were included in the email we sent to board members back in October.
 
We also wanted to mention the Boston consultant, Lindsay Whorton, that did a survey analysis of HCISD last year. She mentioned that,

...not much had changed in schools in the last few decades and mentioned how mental models must be questioned for positive change to happen...
HEB was highlighted and how they hire their managers from within. Now days we see a trend of young teachers not lasting long at school districts, yet we have substitutes and retired teachers that stay with HCISD for most of their career and life. We do need positive change and one way to get started is by changing and increasing pay for your dedicated HCISD Substitutes. This will show how much our work as a substitute teacher is valued and appreciated.  
 
Oh, and before we forget, we like to call ourselves SUPER SUBS! We are comprised of retired educators (many having served 30 plus years with HCISD or from other cities and districts), upcoming teachers, veterans, individuals from the private sector and the list goes on. There are award winning educators and coaches, not to mention subs that are experienced in real estate, wedding photography, car racing, one act play producing, Cinco De Mayo Assemblies, event planning and community service just to name a few… When you sit back and think about the world of knowledge and life experiences that we bring to the table, it’s simply priceless. One of the reasons some of us have TWO JOBS is because of lack of pay to make it in today’s economy, no person should have to work two jobs to provide for their family.    
 
Lastly, we realize and commend HCISD for being a competitive employer and one that continually strives for excellence on behalf of its students, staff and community! We are truly thankful for our employment and enjoy being a part of what makes HCISD great and are reminded of by our admin and staff, telling us on a daily basis, “We can’t do it without you guys!”
 
We pray for a successful school year and that our voices will be heard on this issue.
 
 
Thank you for your time and consideration.
 
 
 
 
Cordially,
HCISD Substitutes