GRAND RAPIDS — According to EDUstaff, one of the nation’s largest educational staffing providers, West Michigan is experiencing a major shortage of substitute teachers.
This has been a growing problem over the last several years, but recruiting experts say schools are in need of substitute teachers and are actively recruiting.
EDUstaff says while sub numbers are better compared to early in the pandemic, there are still not enough.
Ideally, districts like to have two substitutes for every teacher and that is just not the case.
“This is definitely not something that is contained only the West Michigan,” said Fawn Jackson, Western and Northern Michigan territory manager for Edustaff . “It's all across the nation that we are experiencing this kind of shortage with people helping so anytime that there is not adequate coverage, schools are having to have teachers jump into extra classes instead of their planning time.”
EDUStaff is currently recruiting teachers across the state. If you're interested, you need to:
- Have a minimum of 60 college credit hours from either a two- or four-year accredited college or university
- Must have 2.0 GPA or higher
- If you do not have a Michigan teaching certificate you have to pay for a teaching permit which is $45 every school year
- Background checks are required
To learn more click here for the EDUStaff website.
