Educating is a very delicate task, a job with a lot of hard work and much of it. With new students and growing enrollment, this can be a tough situation for many teachers. Assistance is key, and can truly help ease the burden of an overwhelmed teacher.
Here at HHS, teachers strive to make students the best they can become. However, here in this high-achieving school, extra help is crucial and without it, Highlands cannot function in its successful way.
But this is not just a problem at Highlands, this is a National crisis.
According to Fort Thomas Superintendent, Brian Robinson, the district is actually relatively lucky compared to other school districts, “We have actually been impacted less than many (or even most) districts, but we haven’t been immune from the challenge in FTIS.”
This matter is not actually a problem of unemployment or higher student enrollment, but quite a matter of teachers’ personal needs.
“Our list is actually fairly robust, but substitutes can pick the days they work.”
He later said that a key factor in the lack of staffing is ‘late notices due to family or personal illness can sometimes make it a challenge.’
Carrie Ziegler, Principal’s Office Administrative Assistant, backed up this point, “Each sub in our system is able to set their own preferences regarding what days and what times they want to be contacted for a job.”
Though it is important to respect our teachers’ personal time, short notice absence can truly impact everyone’s position, just like a puzzle, if one piece is missing, the whole entity is shifted slightly to accommodate the missing part.
“For instance, if a teacher wakes up sick and doesn’t put in the absence until 6:30 am, a sub may have their preferences set so that they are not called at the last minute.”
Ziegler also included that perhaps this is also due to being overly precautious about illness.
“I believe that one reason we have a higher demand is a shift in our collective attitude regarding staying home when sick.”
She said that if there was something positive that came out of going through the COVID-19 crisis it was how most people take being sick much more seriously.
“They stay home to take care of themselves and/or family members and to keep their co-workers from getting sick as well.”
But though this is hard on staffing, there are some who are ready to step into the rescue when there is an absence.
“We have several subs that are regularly in the building and are quick to fill absences, Joyce Bauer, Linda Prather, and Pam Robinson come to mind immediately.”
And many thanks to those subs. These individuals step in at any given time to assist when there is a teacher’s absence.