District 70: A Template for Substitute Teaching

is one of the rare gem that sparkles in a book discussing the culture of substitute teaching.

Sub Culture: Three years in education’s dustiest corner, by Carolyn Bucior, chronicles the journalist's decision and experience venturing into the world of substitute teaching in 2007.

The memoir describes how Bucior finds herself in a hidden world of poorly prepared, non-educators navigating substitute teaching in school systems without a map. But not all was bad.

A Blueprint for Others

“Libertyville got on my radar as kind of the blueprint for a district that really has it going on,” Bucior said. “They have a process and a commitment to their subs. It’s good for the kids, good for the regular teacher, and the principle.”

While researching for her book, she sat down with Superintendant Guy Schumacher, who explained how Libertyville’s elementary schools substitute program worked.

has easy, formalized processes, and most importantly to Bucior, Schumacher knew all of the district’s substitute teachers.

“He would ask for certain subs that he knew would be a good fit, which helps the kids a lot,” Bucior said. “A vital commitment to subs is not the norm, so Libertyville is the template on how to do things right.”

Substitute Teachers Cost Billions Annually

In her book, she points out that an estimated 274,000 to 300,000 substitute teachers take over U.S. classrooms each day, at a cost of $3.9 billion to $5.17 billion annually.

An average child educated in the U.S. will have been taught by a substitute teacher for almost 365 days, by the time he or she graduates from high school.

While Libertyville’s substitute program was impressive, most of Bucior's experience teaching in other districts left her ill-prepared and lost because substitute teachers were not trained and there were no formal processes.

“So parents and school administrators listen up,” she writes in her book. “The subs you hire don’t automatically know which students to escort onto which buses. We don’t know how your hot lunch and attendance counts work. We don’t know what to do if a student has a seizure, an asthma attack or a reaction to peanuts. We don’t know what to do in case of a fire, or even a fire drill.”

Putting Children At Risk

Bucior tracked stories of substitute teachers in the nation’s news during her three years teaching and doing research for her book.

“There are stories of sexual assault, stolen money. One young child was told by a substitute teacher that there was no Santa Claus,” Bucior said. “If you’re not training your subs, you’re putting your children at risk.”

She credits Schumacher throughout the memoir for giving her substitute tips that led to a more productive school day.

At the end of the book, Bucior offers references and advice for parents, teachers, principles, and superintendants. She has worked closely with organizations such as STEDI.org, which works to train substitute teachers, and other networks of educators working to track teacher absenteeism and improve substitute-teaching programs.