School districts across the state are still experiencing a shortage of substitute teachers, and in Berrien County, it’s meant some adjustments for them.
Berrien RESA, along with other school districts in the area, have had to come up with ways to fill the gaps and RESA Superintendent Eric Hoppstock tells us the pandemic really affected numbers across the board. She says the pandemic as a major factor in driving some subs away.
“There were a number of people that had careers, they had retired and wanted to sort of give back,” Hoppstock said. “The pandemic came and who were the most vulnerable? It was those over 55. And so a number of them sort of backed away and stopped being paraprofessionals, stopped being subs. So that created an immediate issue, but then they never returned.”
One of the ways the district has filled the gap by increasing wages.
Hoppstock says the substitute shortage has got better since last year, and he hopes the improvements will continue.
“This past school year, we’re starting to get more like it was pre-pandemic. I’m hoping this upcoming school year, we are back on the level. Some of that is really related to, we have a teacher shortage as well.”
Hoppstock noted that substitute teaching is a way for someone to have a free-trial run at a career, especially if they want to be involved with teaching.
