Outsourcing substitute teaching has helped the School City of Hammond increase fill rates, but the school board president wants more specifics if that arrangement is going to continue.
The school board got a presentation Tuesday from Kelly Services. Kelly Education Senior Account Manager Tierra Burton said the fill rate went from under 62 percent during the 2021-2022 school year to over 93 percent last fall.
"We do start at 5:00 a.m., so we're here in the morning when you guys are getting ready for work," Burton told board members. "We already have people on staff that are going ahead and calling those substitutes, getting them to come, letting them know, 'Hey, we have this unfilled assignment.'"
Responding to questions from board members, Burton said a majority of substitute teachers live in Hammond or surrounding areas, and she guessed that about half have a bachelor's degree. She also said there weren't a lot of substitutes who show up and leave partway through the day, but she didn't have an exact percentage of those who accept an assignment and then call off before working.
School Board President Carlotta Blake-King said she wanted specific numbers. "I'm sure you're aware of all the federal spending cuts that's coming our way," Blake-King told Burton. "So we're going to have to do some cutting, some deep cutting. And we might just take a cut here."
She also voiced concern about the quality of the subs, saying that some students simply choose to stay home, if they know a substitute won't be effective. "You know the complaints we've had: coming to school smelling like marijuana, dressing unprofessionally — house shoes, bonnets, pajamas — and that's unacceptable," Blake-King said. "Do you understand me?"
Burton stressed that she stays in close contact with school principals and office managers to determine how subs are doing. "We're at the point where I know the star, the rock-star substitutes. They usually get put on long-term assignments," Burton said. "And if there's anything that is going wrong, they let me know, and we follow a process for counseling."
During public comment, former school board member Cindy Murphy noted that the district had a hard time finding subs before hiring Kelly Services. "Our fill rates were dismal," Murphy said. "We were having to close schools and tell the children, 'Hey, it's going to be eLearning.'"
She also said that outsourcing subs mitigates the district's risk of having to cover disabilities claims.
But Michaela Spangenberg with the Gary Education Coalition argued that Kelly Services' long-term vacancies that Kelly Services is filling should instead be filled by permanent teachers. "It seems like this is a system that is built to develop dependency," Spangenberg said. "The intention is not for you ever to be able to leave this contract."
Blake-King said the school corporation may look to get out of its contract with Kelly Services, if her concerns aren't addressed.
