COLUMBUS — If you want to become a substitute teacher in Richland County, you may be able to do so with an associate’s degree rather than a bachelor’s degree during the 2020-2021 school year.
Following the passage of House Bill 409, local school boards have begun amending their policies to accept licensed substitutes with an associate’s degree or equivalent.
Under House Bill 409, schools can employ an individual who does not hold a post-secondary degree as a substitute teacher for the 2020-2021 school year only. These individuals must first obtain a non-renewable temporary substitute teaching license for the 2020-2021 school year.
Prior to the passage of House Bill 409, substitute teachers in Ohio were required to hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, but it did not have to be in education or a related field.
The bill described waiving the post-secondary education requirement as an “emergency measure.”
“The reason for such necessity is to ensure school districts and schools can employ an adequate number of substitute teachers for the 2020-2021 school year to address the needs of the state arising from the COVID-19 outbreak,” the bill states.
It’s up to local school districts and educational service centers to decide if they will require any post-secondary education to work as a substitute.
The Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center, which shares its substitute list with the majority of Richland County school districts, decided that an individual must still possess an associate’s degree or higher or have completed at least two years of coursework from an accredited institution of higher education.
Schools in Lexington, Madison Township, Lucas and Plymouth have already voted to approve the temporary measure.
The Clear Fork Valley Local and Ontario Local have already had their monthly meeting, but could vote to amend their substitute teacher policies in February.
The North Central Ohio Educational Service Center, which provides substitutes to the Shelby City and Ontario Local school districts, will not require its substitutes to have any post-secondary education for the 2020-2021 school year only.
Brenda Luhring, deputy superintendent at the NCOESC, said that while it’s “not ideal” to put substitutes in the classroom who aren’t certified teachers, the need for school staff is too dire to ignore.
“Even before COVID we couldn’t get enough substitutes teachers in our districts,” she said. “We’re at this point in Ohio, and I believe it’s the same all over the country, that there’s just not enough substitutes. People aren’t going into education like they used to.”
Staffing shortages caused by staff quarantines led to numerous school closures in the fall.
Amber Cyrus, who has worked as a substitute teacher for seven years, said her services were more in-demand than ever.
Cyrus typically selects her assignments through a software program used by the MOESC. But before schools went remote last fall, she was receiving calls from secretaries and texts from principals begging her to take on assignments.
“It was definitely busier than normal,” she said.
Cyrus has a degree in recreational therapy and her career background was in assisted living. But after her daughters were born, she wanted a job that would allow her the flexibility of picking when, where and how often she wanted to work.
As a stay-at-home mom, she enjoys the flexibility that substitute teaching offers.
“I can pick the days I want to work and the buildings I want to work in,” she said.
While she never thought she’d end up working in the schools, Cyrus now finds interacting with the students and teaching basic lessons very rewarding.
“Sometimes I do get to teach and other times it is just an in-classroom assignment and making sure they’re getting their work done,” Cyrus said. “I really enjoy the students when they really learn something, to see them succeed.”
How do I become a substitute teacher?
Adults in Ohio who wish to become a substitute teacher must begin the process by applying through a local educational service center.
The MOESC handles licensure for most Richland County school districts, while the NCOESC provides substitutes to the Ontario and Shelby City school districts. The Knox Educational Service Center handles licensure for substitute teachers at Clear Fork Valley Local Schools.
