Substitute teachers harder to find in Fayette County

The complications of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic are making substitute teachers harder to find for Fayette County schools, according to the system’s director of human resources. Erin Roberson told the Board of Education at its Nov. 9 work session that the average “fill rate” for substitutes is only 90.02% since August, down from an average 92.58% last school year and significantly lower than the 95-97% rates for the four years before that.

Roberson said Fayette has hired 76 new substitutes this year, but still has high demand, especially on Fridays. She said several incentives might help relieve the problem, including offering a $20 increase in the daily pay rate for subs who work more than 40 hours in the same school year, as well as changing the education qualification to allow subs with “some college” rather than requiring a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. The county might also increase its advertising on social media and increase outreach to local colleges and community groups.