IOWA, USA — As schools across Iowa are figuring out how to proceed with the school year as safely as possible for everyone involved, there's been a resounding worry: there's a shortage of substitute teachers.
Gov. Reynolds' Return to Learn proclamation signed in July does make it easier for people to become substitute teachers.
First, it gets rid of the limit on how many consecutive days a sub can work, which previously capped at 30 days.
The amount of education required to be a substitute teacher has also been reduced. You don't need to have completed a bachelor's degree, but it is still required that you have an associate's degree or at least 60 hours of college coursework at an accredited institution.
The minimum age to apply to be a substitute teacher has also been dropped, albeit only by one year, to 20 years old.
The role of paraeducators, or those that assist other teachers under direct supervision, can also now be extended. Paraeducators were limited to just the special education classes they already assisted in before the proclamation, but will now be able to be a substitute (if they are certified to sub already) for Pre-K through 12th grade.
Occasionally, non-educators will be brought in to teach about professions and specialty fields that are recognized in career and technical service areas (example: hiring someone who works in the field of hospitality to teach about tourism).
Under the proclamation, those individuals can now qualify to be substitute teachers, as long as they have at least one year of teaching experience under their belt.