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Sunday, February 16, 2014

When Two Halves Do Not Make a Whole...



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.

1 comment:

Karen said...

In our district, if we get another half day post at a different building we get the extra pay (which is $8 more than half of a full day). If we get a half day within the same building, they pay us for a full day. If we don't get a "prep", we get an extra $10. I've been subbing this district for 15 years and my daily rate is the same as it was when I stared. :(