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substitute me
June 25, 2009I recently read the article that my colleague Ann Work wrote on the shortage of substitute teachers in the WFISD.
I don't claim or intend to say that I know the reason why there's a shortage, but I felt like sharing my experience with the WFISD back in 2004 when I applied to be a substitute.
I was a recent graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in History when I arrived in Wichita Falls (Why WF? that's another story). My plan when I was in college was to obtain my History degree, rather than an education degree with the social studies endorsement, and later seek alternative certification. So when I arrived I sought out all school districts in Wichita County for substitute teacher applications.
Shoutout to City View ISD, Iowa Park ISD and Burk ISD for being so polite and helpful when I applied. I know that there is some talk around the county that the aforementioned districts have a "bias" against folk with high levels of melanin such as myself, but in my experience with them it wasn't the case.
Anyhow, within a week I was signed up as a Sub with all the aforementioned districts. They all said that due to their size, I may not get any assignments for a few months, which I understood completely. So I sought out the big boys in education 'round hea, the big bad WFISD.
First of all, whoever took care of me at the education center that day must have had a few bad weeks, a chip on her shoulder, or something because she was not personable at all. I know some folk see 24 year-olds as young, but her prodding questions felt like I had gone to the assistant principal's office for a reprimand. Nevertheless, I filled out the paperwork required, pulled out my official transcript, and handed it over to her.
Now, at this point is where she lost me.
This lady told me that it is unlikely that I would get calls for assignments because folks didn't "know me" in the district. *Enter scooby doo sound here* what? in a district of 14k students and god knows how many teachers I have to be "known" to get an assignment? Ok...let's carry on.
She then made a few comments about my educational background, something along the lines of "oh, you did history" "Penn State, huh?" As I understood the requirements to sub in the royal WFISD only required 60 credits of college credits...no mention of a specific field of study..I had almost 3 times that with my Bachelor's degree and a plethora of courses in Sociology and Spanish. Was there anything else that I needed and didn't have?-y'all see where this is going here.
Then I proceeded to tell this lady that I was bilingual (fluent in english and spanish) and I had roughly 30 credits of spanish courses, enough for a minor but that PSU had changed their requirements and I didn't get it on my diploma. Her response, "Ok, but that's still not a minor"
In retrospect I wonder why she didn't try to snatch me up for a full-time job. Or at least point me to sources of alternative certification or something. Considering the company line that there's always a need for more bilingual teachers. Here I was, a college graduate, bilingual and with enough credits for a minor and I'm getting an incredible amount of static just to get on the substitute list (which in her words, seemed of gargantuan proportions)
By now I'm getting the feeling that the substitutes in this district are not appreciated or at least valued. The lady finished with the schpiel of "go to this website, sign up there, click here, put your info there and make sure you leave your days open"
"No problem," I said.
That is the last contact I ever had with the WFISD as a prospective employee. Never did I receive a call for an assignment and working at Denny's at night was not cutting it to support a wife and 2 kids, so I got a job at the only place that was locally hiring in a hurry, Cingular (now AT&T mobility) (the rest of my job history you can see on my profile on this website by the way, I makes it happen folk)
Once again, shoutout to City View, IP and Burk for looking me up for assignments. Unfortunately I was not able to take any by then since I had gained full-time employment with Cingular.
I have a few friends that are teachers and others who work in the WFISD who have expressed their desire to see me teach in a classroom. After my experience as an aspiring sub at the royal WFISD, I tell them kindly "heck no! If they didn't want me as a sub, you think they want me as a teacher?"
On and Mr. Waitman, if you don't know why your numbers have dwindled from 150 to 19, y'all got a bigger problem.
Posted by Maurel Merette at 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
