Salem-Keizer Public Schools will no longer directly employ their substitute teachers and staff, the district’s executive team, led by Superintendent Andrea Castañeda, decided. Starting this fall, the approximately 1,200 people who fill in for teachers, instructional assistants, custodians and other school staff members will be employed by the national, private staffing firm, Edustaff.

Concerns from Substitutes

Some substitutes feel that this decision comes at their expense, according to Ross Swartzendruber, a Salem-Keizer substitute and government affairs chair of the Oregon Substitute Teacher Association. Substitutes are frustrated that they’ll lose access to the state’s retirement system for public employees and they’re worried about maintaining relationships with their preferred schools.

Substitutes will also gain access to health insurance and a 401(k) as Edustaff employees, benefits they did not have working for Salem-Keizer. However, substitutes will lose access to the main benefits program they were eligible for: the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS).

Reasons Behind the Decision

Salem-Keizer decided to contract with Edustaff in an effort to increase fill rates, which are the percentage of vacancies that are filled by substitutes each day, Castañeda said in a May 13 budget meeting. On any given day last school year, substitutes filled approximately 92% of vacancies from licensed staff — teachers — and 50-55% of vacancies from classified staff — administrative staff, bus drivers, instructional assistants, custodians and more.

District leaders hope that by drawing from a larger pool of employees, they won’t have as many daily vacancies, according to Aaron Harada, the school district’s communications director.

Original reporting: Salem Reporter — read the source article.