Substitute Teachers Key Support to Learning
Do you have a current teaching license? Would you love to work with students but prefer a job with a flexible work schedule? Are you interested in earning some extra money? If you answered yes to these questions, the Cedar Rapids Community School District wants you – as a substitute teacher!
Substitutes are key members of the District team. They ensure continuity of instruction when teachers are unable to be in their classroom.
“These substitute teachers become a part of our extended family of staff members,” explained Becky DeWald, Pierce Elementary School Principal. “They always receive a warm welcome when arriving not only because we like them but, because when we don’t have a substitute it throws a real wrench into the schedule of everyone in the school.”
It is vital that the District maintain a large pool of qualified substitute teachers to ensure a quality education for students. Developing and sustaining that pool is an ongoing challenge, however. The District teams with other metro Cedar Rapids school districts to hire teacher substitutes. Assignments are made through SEMS, an automated placement system housed at Grant Wood Area Education Agency.
Substitutes are paid between thirteen and fourteen dollars an hour, depending on the length of the work day.
“I encourage anyone with the appropriate licenses to join our team,” added Mary Ellen Maske, Executive Administrator of Elementary Education. “You will get to know lots of wonderful students plus provide an essential service to the schools of Cedar Rapids.”
To register as a substitute, a licensed teacher must attend an orientation. To sign up for a meeting, contact Sandy Edwards at the SEMS Help Desk at 319-399-6761. Registration requires a current teaching license.