Austin ISD still looking for subs as some say process to apply takes too long
AUSTIN (KXAN) — During the peak of the omicron surge, hundreds of Austin Independent School District teachers were calling out daily.
To fill the void the district called on substitute teachers, central office staff and even AISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde, but they needed more help.
In January, the district was averaging about 500 substitute requests daily.
"We were averaging about 80 central office staff to fill in daily," said Eddie Villa, an AISD spokesperson.
With COVID-19 cases declining, there are fewer teachers calling out but the need for subs is still present. When there is no one to fill in, they have to get creative.
"Sometimes they will combine classes, sometimes they will take a class out and combine them into other classes so there are a variety of things they will do," said Leslie Stephens with AISD's Office of Human Capital.
Rich was a professor at the University of Texas for more than two decades and when she saw the need for subs, she stepped up to help.
"I applied four and a half weeks ago to be a sub just to help out," said Elaine Rich.
Rich is still going through the process to become a sub which includes a background check.
Some people reached out telling KXAN the vetting process was taking longer than the expected two to three weeks.
"Our substitute team is working to process all the applications that we are receiving," said Villa.
The vetting process is in place to make sure candidates are qualified.
We are greatly appreciative of the outpouring of support from our AISD community to fill our continued substitute teacher needs. After announcing the increased pay for substitute teachers on January 14, we have received over 880 new applications.
Our Substitute Services team has been working overtime to try and process these applications as quickly as possible, but there have been delays. Due to the volume of applications received, the turnaround time from DPS and TEA on background and fingerprinting, supporting applicants through submitting required documentation, and prioritizing applications based on campus-needs, applicants could see a 1-3 week wait before they are eligible to work in schools. We hope that as we work through the backlog, this turnaround time will shorten considerably.
AISD
Rich hopes they can expedite the process for future candidates, but for now she's still waiting to get into a classroom.
"I think I can offer a lot to these kids," said Rich.
Austin ISD currently has a sub pool of about 1,300 subs, but only about 35% are actively working.
If you are having issues or you feel the process to become a sub is taking longer than normal the district says you reach out to their substitute teacher office number at 512-414-2611.