Elevating undervalued professionals: Support for substitute teachers

We speak with Megan M. Conklin, who designs and implements professional development for substitutes in Washington state. Substitutes often don’t receive the support and compensation they deserve. Ms. Conklin’s union-backed program teaches subs classroom survival skills and advocates for equity among school staff members. Overview 00:00-00:37 Intros 00:37-04:44 Why Megan Conklin has chosen to be a substitute 04:44-07:19 Major issues subs face 07:19-11:13 Structure and culture of Megan Conklin’s program 11:13-16:59 What a sub should do if thrown into a situation without support 16:59-17:34 Keeping a light-hearted mindset 17:34-19:47 What students want in a sub 19:47-21:46 What it’s like as a long-term sub 21:46-23:10 Pay scales 23:10-24:39 Effects of using classroom teachers to cover classes 24:39-26:34 Sub support programs in other states? 28:27-30:13 Differences in support among Washington districts 30:13-31:21 Supporting paraprofessionals and other marginalized groups in education 31:21- Outro Transcript