School districts pay subs a flat daily rate. Half day
assignments are paid 1/2 the full daily rate plus $5. If by chance, you are
able to pick up a morning 1/2 day and, on the same day, an afternoon 1/2 at a
different school, it is considered a single "full day" and pays $10
less than two halves.
This little accounting trick is not spelled out in the
substitute teacher handbook. Pointing out that when we spend additional time
and fuel traveling to two different schools, usually missing lunch should be
worth the extra $10, it falls on deaf ears.
My choices are:
1) Suck it up and
quit complaining about the extra $10 they should pay.
-- or--
2) Refuse to double
end assignments and force the district to pay $10 extra/day for two subs covering
two classes.
The two weeks before the February seven-day winter break
means a lean monthly paycheck for substitute teachers. Even so, I was able to
work every school day right up until the start of break.
One of those assignments was a half day morning assignment
ending at 11:30am.
When 11:45 came and went without the teacher returning to the
classroom, I called the office to see what was happening. They said the teacher
was running late and would be there shortly. Ten minutes later, another sub
shows up for HIS half day afternoon assignment. He said it was a last minute
call that came in just about 10mins ago.
When checking out in the office, I asked what the situation
was with two subs scheduled for the same class the same day.
It seems that two teachers are sharing one contract to teach
this class. Both were at the same training session so each had to have a sub to
cover "her half" of the class. The whole district is having problems
getting subs for this training. She said the district office reported that 70
assignments were posted for today and not all of them were filled.
I didn't try to suggest that they could have called me to
ask if I could stay the full day. Instead, I left and went home for lunch.
I was home no more than 5 minutes when the substitute
assignment system called to see if I'm available this afternoon for a half day
assignment at a different school but they need me right now.
I guess at this point I was in a "mood"....I chose
#2.
