Elevating undervalued professionals: Support for substitute teachers

04/05/2024 35 min

                    Elevating undervalued professionals: Support for substitute teachers

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Episode Synopsis










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