Case rates decline but substitute pool still an issue for Columbia Public Schools

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools still lacks the number of substitute teachers willing to come into the classrooms that it needs as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said the pool for substitute teachers is large but that number is deceptive.

As of Wednesday, CPS was only able to fill about 60% of the needed substitute slots, which is down from 65% the week before. All district students returned to classrooms on Jan. 19. Middle and high school students had been learning virtually since last March.

Brent Ghan for the Missouri School Board Association said the substitute teacher shortage has been a major reason why some school districts have had to do online instructions.

The district reported 53 staff members on leave because of a positive coronavirus test or exposure. Nearly 970 staff members have tested positive or have been exposed to the virus since June.

However, new case rates continue to drop. When students went back to the buildings on Jan. 19, CPS reported 90 new cases in its boundaries and the 14-day rate per 10,000 people was 74.9. On Feb. 2, CPS reported 21 new cases and 34.5 per 10,000 people.

Other districts are facing the same issues. Missouri's state government temporarily made it easier for people to become substitute teachers starting in September in an attempt to address the problem.

The state now allows people with a high school diploma or equivalent to complete a 20-hour state-approved substitute teacher online training to become eligible. Before, they needed to complete 60 college credit hours for the substitute certification.

Ghan said the new certification has added an addition 3,600 people statewide that are now available to sub.

CPS is reimbursing application costs, raising pay for subs and using student teachers. District employees and administrators are also stepping in to help teach classes.

Ghan said this was an issue previous to the pandemic, and has only worsened. He said the board predicts that these numbers will increase further as teachers and the public continue to get their corona virus vaccines.

Michelle Baumstark for Columbia Public Schools said, they usually have a large number of older retirees that act as substitutes. During the pandemic, those individuals have expressed that they do not feel safe going into the buildings, especially without the vaccine.

The pandemic is also changing summer school. The Columbia Board of Education voted this week to extend summer school from a month to six weeks. Superintendent Peter Stiepleman said summer courses will continue in the same mode that it's in when school ends for the summer.

Right now, elementary students attending four days a week and middle and high school students learning online two days a week and in-person two days a week.

As of now, Baumstark said they are pulling from within their own buildings to cover classes, and when they don't have enough adults to safely operate, they will be forced to close.

Susie Adams, Battle High School teacher, said she has had to sub for different teachers in their building four times since Jan. 19.

The school district has also extended summer school this year because of the inability to offer traditional summer school programs last year.

Kindergarten through 8th grade will have six weeks of summer school between June 14 and July 23. The mornings will be core curriculum while the afternoons will be enrichment.

High school will have two sessions. The first between June 14 and July 9 for credit advancement and credit recovery and the second between July 12 and July 30 for credit recovery only.

"A lot of districts are looking at summer school this year as a way to address potential learning loss that students have experienced during this disruptive school year," said Ghan.

CPS parent, Tara Arnett said her daughter is in 3rd grade and has attended the summer program in the past.

"I am excited about having that extra time for her. I think that she has some things that she needs to catch up on," said Arnett.

She said if the decision is made to have summer programs through online learning, she will not be sending her daughter. Instead, she will be seeking additional help for her through in-person tutoring.

Baumstark said, "At this point, all we can say is that summer school will start in whatever mode we're in when the school year ends."

She said they are not in a position to promise a learning module for the program that is more than four months away and changes could be made as they get closer to that time.

More information on summer school will be available on Feb. 22 and enrollment will open March 1 through April 30 for all students.