Pa. Schools Having Trouble Finding Substitute Teachers
By Tony Romeo
HARISBURG, Pa., (CBS) -- As the Philadelphia School District struggles with finding enough teachers to staff classrooms, it appears the city is not alone when it comes to a shortage of substitutes.
The Education Committees of the state House and Senate held a joint hearing to discuss the sudden scarcity of substitute teachers. And while the situation in Philadelphia may be acute, state Education Secretary Pedro Rivera told lawmakers it's not an isolated problem.
"Urban districts, rural districts, and even suburban districts are finding great difficulty in identifying and retaining substitutes. Especially this year where we've seen a tremendous spike in that substitute need," said Rivera.
One problem with finding substitutes, says Rivera, is the overall dwindling number of teachers. Causes of that, he says, include students graduating from Pennsylvania colleges of education leaving for other states. Some of the possible solutions to the substitute teacher shortage discussed at the hearing included changing the teacher certification process and allowing retired teachers to serve as substitutes.