Substitute Teachers Matter(c)

 Substitute Teachers Matter 

America’s educational system has a variety of interdependent components. In the classroom the role of the educator is extremely significant from assisting students in their academic goals to being there for social and emotional growth .

Quite often the role of the substitute teacher is often overlooked and diminished. Far too many parents, administrators and students view our role as insignificant and not that crucial to the education of a student as their primary educator.

For too long the substitute teacher has been marginalized. For many substitute teachers the compensation is meager and our academic expertise is discounted and even ridiculed in some educational venues .

In many school districts substitute teachers are rarely consulted by administrators for opinions on pedagogy ideas. Teacher training programs which seek to enhance the academic credentials and classroom skills of teachers and educators are nonexistent in school systems for substitute teachers.

Many school principals and department heads don’t invite substitutes to training sessions inside and outside the school buildings. Substitute teachers are too often viewed as ‘baby sitters’ from administrators to parents to students and even full time teachers.

When the issues of diversity and staffing are present Black substitute teachers like myself and others are rarely observe in many school buildings across the country.

Recently I experienced with other substitute teachers  a social network threat that targeted schools on the anniversary of a horrific school shooting in America, substitute teachers were not even put on notice nor aware of the threat from school administrators or teachers unions. We were vulnerable and imperil and no one cared from administrators to teacher’s unions.

Substitute teachers are critical assets in any academic and educational equation in both public and private educational institutions in America.

We have transformative academic and educational capital that continues to be underutilized and underdeveloped in our schools.

I proposed this reality has to end in our school systems in America. This is a public service announcement  so do pay attention