By employing the better substitutes more frequently, administrators can provide opportunities for these promising individuals to gain additional experience and increase their capacity to take on the more critical long-term assignments. Two approaches to creating a dependable cadre of experienced replacement teachers are hiring permanent, full-time substitutes and instituting a graduated substitute payscale. When not needed to fill in for absent teachers, these individuals may perform other school work, such as assisting with curriculum development. Separate activities may be planned, or substitutes may participate in general staff development. There are both practical and moral reasons to develop sound substitute teacher programs.
Liability is one practical concern for schools, administrators, and substitute's themselves.
As stewards of children in their care, teachers, administrators, and districts have a moral obligation, as well as a statutory and contractual one, to ensure that the best interests of students guide policy and practice. Thus, it is only fitting that the current movement to elevate standards of practice in schools apply to this traditionally neglected sector of the education community. Making time for teacher professional development. ERIC Digest 95-4. A piece of cake.