AIBU to think Supply Teachers Should be Paid WAY More?

@miniaturepixieonacid not at all manageable with a self employed husband and 3 kids, but the difference is so frustrating because people here have no understanding of the (stupid) situation. The government is paying to train us up for unemployment or zero hours contracts. That said, teaching in England sounds grim!

@MrsS11 Wow, that is so opposite. Move to England and you'll get a permanent post easily (or is living in England beyind the pale and not included in the 'anything' you'd do? 😆😉)

For another point of view, I am a supply teacher in Scotland. We are paid the same as contracted teachers, holiday pay doesn't work out exactly but we do get 3x per year. For all those saying everyone would leave contracts to work on supply: in Scotland we have the opposite teacher recruitment crisis in that there have been too many trained and every council is cutting permanent posts. Popping in and out of schools for a day here and there is essentially babysitting and not the reason I trained to become a teacher. I would do anything for the security of a permanent post, as would many on supply; for the first 6 weeks of term this year I had one day of work. See 'scottish teachers for permanence' group for more.

I'm sure some of them are great but not all - my DD's had one that refused to tell the students her name. Not first name. Either name. At all. They called her Rubik's cube lady (because she watched YouTube videos on how to solve Rubik's cubes). Another one fell asleep during the lesson.

Supply teachers can easily solve their lack of benefits by seeking a contracted position in a school.

It’s generally better for the class to have a HLTA, or experienced TA cover. They know the class and the current plans, so it’s less disruptive.

Also, there are some truly shocking supply teachers (I’m sure this doesn’t apply to any of you btw!)…

You can't have, or do the work of a TLR, on day to day supply. What are they going to do, call you up and ask you to write a scheme of work, carry out some dropins, lead a CPD and analyse their data?

But that was 18 yaers ago, things have probably changed

Yep!

This thread has really surprised me. I'm a teacher and I genuinely thought supply teachers were paid well above what would be a daily rate for an employed teacher. With the reasoning that they don't get paid in the holidays.

A couple of people from my PGCE course went into supply once they'd got their QTS for that reason, or at least I thought that's what they said. But that was 18 yaers ago, things have probably changed.

As somebody up-thread said: supply teachers get paid very little because schools pay agencies - a lot - & the actual teachers get a fraction of that.

For the agency, it's a kind of sales job. Lots of young people, in their first job, trying to fill as many vacancies as possible, and get that bonus/promotion.

Lots of agencies competing to get to be the first call for as many schools as possible & thus make as much money as possible.

Profit isn't made by passing in the money to the actual supply teachers.

It has nothing to do with stuff about whether they set planning or not. It's a business. And, ironically, it's not making schools or teachers rich.

Daily supply you get less because you are not planning and not responsible for progress. Long term should get the same as MPS.

You need to set some boundaries and not work hour after hour then? Maybe you've been in the wrong schools because I've never been made to feel like that. You can't deny that there's some supply teachers out there like I described.

@notbelieved This. Teaching is not really conducive with parenting children of your own. No flexibility for school runs, very long working days etc

I don't think supply teachers should get paid more, but I do think there should be compulsary contributions into their pensions by agencies. Currently supply teachers can't add to their teacher pensions, which is stupid.

Because usually they are shit ineffective teachers who have been managed out of permanent work

erm......work life balance, caring responsibilities, no desperate need for the money attached to a permanent role, ill health (both physical and mental) preventing someone from taking on the a permanent role, illness or condition that requires multiple appointments, keeping a hand in whilst caring for small children, keeping a hand in post-retirement.....all reasons someone might be in supply teaching.

@juggleit Rarely I would say. Much cover is now done by support staff (not qualified teachers).

Of point a bit but do the SLT cover some sickness absence in your experiences? Generally interested how this all works. Is it possible for the managers to cover or is this just too much for them to do and also keep on top of their own work load?
My childrens primary seems to have so many teachers off sick at the moment it must be extremely difficult to find good cover.

@FrippEnos This.
I was ft when my boys were tiny (single mum) and I massively regret working 7.30-5.30 pm then again every evening and at weekends and throughout the holidays. I just couldn't be present because I had to pay the bills. I regret not being at one sports day, one nativity, one assembly.
I vowed never to make the same mistake with my little girl.

There are some very good supply teachers out there.
Most of those that I known do it because they value their own mental health and CBA to put up with views like yours.

i used to book supply. Some do get paid more. Some negotiate a much higher rate to do longer term and to take on some responsibility, they still walk out when the bell sounds though.
They’re not bad teachers, I mean some are! Sometimes they’ve taken early retirement, or just qualified and can’t take a post or teach a popular subject and use that to their advantage. One was in a band and just worked around that, he was very good too.
We used to have a banned list of terrible supply and the agencies were always trying to sneak them back in.

@90yomakeuproom Or teachers who are sick to death of working hour after hour after after hour, not being respected, and having their MH ripped to pieces by being told to "suck it up" and that whatever they do is not good enough.

Because usually they are shit ineffective teachers who have been managed out of permanent work....

Three rates for supply teachers.
At least as far as the agency offered.
And as the supply often stated what they were paid for I have no reason to disbelieve them.

@FrippEnos Three rates for who? Qualified teachers? Never heard of this.

At schools where I have worked there have been three rates.

1/ turn up, 'teach' prepared stuff and leave, no prep, no marking, no feedback, no parents evenings or meetings.(day rate)
2/ turn up, 'teach' prepared stuff, mark work, no prep, some feedback, no parents evenings or meetings unless requested and then paid for (short term)
3/ Prepare lessons, mark feedback, parents evenings and meetings. (long term)