Wave of Teacher Time Off Forces Districts Short on Subs to Cancel School
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Due to a shortage of substitute teachers in schools across the country, some districts are having to cancel classes as staff members take additional days off during the holidays.
Seattle Public Schools announced that all 52,000 students would not have school on Friday because a significant number of staff members were extending the Veterans Day weekend to four days. Similarly, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Board of Education voted to turn a scheduled half-day before Thanksgiving into a vacation day for the district’s 165,000 students since there aren’t enough substitute teachers to cover for the educators taking time off.
In an even more extreme case, Newaygo Public Schools in West Michigan made a sudden decision to close from November 9 to November 15 due to a large number of staff members being absent due to COVID-19, other illnesses, or personal reasons. The district sent an unsigned letter to families explaining that they were unable to adequately staff their buildings to meet the needs of the students, and this challenge is not unique to their district.
Seattle had more than 600 educators request substitute teachers for the day after Veterans Day. The district noted that they were aware of a higher-than-normal number of staff members taking leave on Friday and believed that they didn’t have enough personnel to open schools.
The last-minute change to the Thanksgiving holiday in Montgomery County sparked outrage among some parents. One parent, Dr. Jennifer Reesman, expressed her dismay, stating that the district only provided 13 days’ notice, disregarding the needs of parents in healthcare, essential workers, and those who rely on the school schedule.
These closures further worsen the disruptions that schools have already faced during the 20 months of the pandemic, which has had a negative impact on students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being.
Tequilla Brownie, Executive Vice President of The New Teacher Project, emphasized the need to provide students with more access to quality instruction rather than reducing it. She urged schools to double down on their efforts to mitigate the challenges students face.
With a dwindling reserve of substitute teachers in many school systems nationwide, Daniel Domenech, Executive Director of the School Superintendents Association, explained that district leaders have limited options when educators request time off during the holidays. Teachers are entitled to use paid time off, and finding substitutes has become a significant challenge.
Superintendents do not want closures but are doing their best to address the situation with the available resources. The pandemic has shown that school systems can find creative solutions, such as involving central office staff in remote learning. By exploring these options, school closures could potentially be avoided.
Montgomery County’s scheduling change follows weeks of frustration and burnout among educators. Two weeks ago, teachers held a car rally to protest staffing shortages, which they claimed were overwhelming and causing stress. Signs displayed in vehicles highlighted the issue of insufficient staffing and educators struggling with excessive workload.
During a press conference, the union president warned that the district could face a "great resignation" if conditions for teachers are not improved. Montgomery County currently has numerous staff vacancies, including 161 teaching positions.
Numerous school districts across the nation have taken proactive measures to address this issue by allocating extra time for staff and students to recharge. According to a recent report from Burbio, a data service tracking school calendars during the pandemic, over a dozen districts, including Alexandria, Virginia and Howard County, Maryland, have recently announced either days off or shortened schedules to combat burnout and provide mental health breaks for educators.
Although the district announcements typically did not mention shortages of substitute teachers, it is possible that some school administrators also considered the need to avoid exceeding their capacity for teacher coverage.
The specific policies regarding whether these days off will be made up later in the school year vary. Most states require schools to be in session for 180 days per year. For example, Montgomery County’s 2021-22 school calendar has already allotted 182 days, so the additional day off will not impact it. On the other hand, Newaygo Public Schools in Michigan has already used up five of its snow days during the current closure, as reported by Michigan Live.
These disruptions, both planned and unplanned, are yet another consequence of the ongoing pandemic, according to Domenech. He expressed hope that the recently authorized vaccines for younger children will contribute to a return to normalcy by spring. However, he acknowledged that the scheduling changes may cause frustration for many families in the meantime.
"Working parents heavily rely on having their children in school," he stated.
