Teacher Absences Bad for Education?

Thursday, January 17, 2008

WASHINGTON — A year is a long time in a child's education, the time it can take to learn cursive writing or beginning algebra. It's also how much time kids can spend with substitute teachers from kindergarten through high school — time that's all but lost for learning.

Despite tremendous pressure on schools to increase instructional time and meet performance goals, the vacuum created by teacher absenteeism has been all but ignored — even though new research suggests it can have an adverse effect in the classroom.

The problem isn't just with teachers home for a day or two with the flu. Schools' use of substitutes to plug full-time vacancies — the teachers that kids are supposed to have all year — is up dramatically.

Duke University economist Charles Clotfelter, among a handful of researchers who have closely studied the issue, says the image of spitballs flying past a daily substitute often reflects reality. "Many times substitutes don't have the plan in front of them," Clotfelter said. "They don't have all the behavioral expectations that the regular teachers have established, so it's basically a holding pattern."

Clotfelter's examination of North Carolina schools is part of emerging research suggesting that teacher absences lead to lower student test scores, even when substitutes fill in. And test scores have gained heightened importance, because the 2002 education law penalizes schools if too few students meet testing benchmarks. The goal is to get all kids reading and doing math at their grade levels by 2014.

Raegen Miller, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington, is examining the impact of teacher absences on fourth-grade test scores in a large, urban school district that he chooses not to identify. His findings show that 10 teacher absences within a year cause a significant loss in math achievement. When the regular teacher is gone for two weeks, it can set students back at least that amount of time.

"Teachers often have to re-teach material, restore order and rebuild relationships after absences," said Miller, who is conducting the research with Harvard University education professors.

The potential harm multiplies when subs are used in long-term roles in a classroom. Though long-term substitutes often have better credentials than those chosen for daily fill-ins, they are no replacement for regular, full-time teachers who have gone through the normal hiring process.

Nationwide, the number of schools reporting that they used substitutes to fill regular teaching vacancies doubled between 1994 and 2004, according to Education Department data. The latest data showed more than a fifth of public schools use subs in this way.

One factor behind the increase was an overall rise in the number of schools reporting they had full-time vacancies. That points to teacher shortages in some communities.

Also, schools are being more thorough in reporting on vacancies and on school staffing generally due to requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, Miller said.

Standards for substitutes vary widely but are typically far below those for full-time regular teachers. Some states and local districts don't require background checks, and many don't require substitutes to have attended college, let alone graduated.

And states with the fewest standards for substitutes also rely most on subs. Principals in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Washington, D.C., are most likely to identify teacher absenteeism as a big problem, according to Education Department survey data from 2003-04, the most recent available.
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Nationwide, teachers are generally allowed 10 or more sick or personal days a year. They also can be out of the classroom for professional development.
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Children's advocates say kids are being hurt.
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"We need to pay a lot more attention to the prevalence of substitute teachers, along with long-term vacancies and turnover rates, especially in schools with a lot of low-income students who can least afford instability in their classrooms," said Ross Wiener, who oversees policy issues at Education Trust, a nonprofit that advocates for poor and minority children.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,323625,00.html

I read this article yesterday. West Virginia has the highest rate of filling full time positions with Substitute teachers at 68%. I'm curious as to why this is.

Let's not forget all those absences by teacher/coaches. They're a problem too, or at least they have been for my daughter.

As far as the long-term sub thing, perhaps someone here can answer this question...........is there any kind of limit to how long of a vacancy a teacher can sub before they must be hired?

I suspect that if there isn't any rule in place, or if it is a very liberal rule, school districts may be using long-term subs rather than hiring a teacher as an avenue to saving money. Those subs don't get a benefits package, do they?

Stephanie wrote:Let's not forget all those absences by teacher/coaches. They're a problem too, or at least they have been for my daughter.

As far as the long-term sub thing, perhaps someone here can answer this question...........is there any kind of limit to how long of a vacancy a teacher can sub before they must be hired?

I suspect that if there isn't any rule in place, or if it is a very liberal rule, school districts may be using long-term subs rather than hiring a teacher as an avenue to saving money. Those subs don't get a benefits package, do they?

Does your daughter have Mr. Elkins for a class?

Aaron wrote:

Stephanie wrote:Let's not forget all those absences by teacher/coaches. They're a problem too, or at least they have been for my daughter.

As far as the long-term sub thing, perhaps someone here can answer this question...........is there any kind of limit to how long of a vacancy a teacher can sub before they must be hired?

I suspect that if there isn't any rule in place, or if it is a very liberal rule, school districts may be using long-term subs rather than hiring a teacher as an avenue to saving money. Those subs don't get a benefits package, do they?

Does your daughter have Mr. Elkins for a class?

She did last year and she will when the new semester begins on Tuesday.

Stephanie wrote:
As far as the long-term sub thing, perhaps someone here can answer this question...........is there any kind of limit to how long of a vacancy a teacher can sub before they must be hired?

Steph, now there are two (2) types of "long term" vacancies.

1) No qualified teacher to "start the school year".

2) A vacancy occurs "after the school year starts" and lasts for several week, months, or the remainder of the school year.

In WV, I don't think there is a limit about "must be hired" ...... because they can't be hired to "fill a position" unless they are qualified to teach said position.

So, in #1 above, if the sub was qualified, they would just go ahead and hire them if they wanted a permanent job. Otherwise, they would remain there as a sub until a teacher was hired, ...... or the school year ended.

#2, the sub would remain there until the teacher returned or the year ended.

I believe that once a sub is called in, they have "rights" to remain until the regular teacher returns or the year ends.

And yes, I believe after so many consecutive days subbing, the sub starts accruing "longevity time" but no other benefits.

Now a lot of the subs want a full time job, others don't, .... and quite a few of them are retired teachers who don't.

Now I believe the Legislature was talking about "changing the Law" to permit hiring "retirees" without them losing their "retired status".

.

Sam,

In RI there was a severe shortage of certified school administrators. The RI DOE changed the rules increasing the number of days a retired administrator could sub and keep receiving pension benefits. It was a big help.

The rules vary so much from state to state and I really am not all that interested in public education here. I know that sounds terrible, I'm just tired of doing the battle. My daughter graduates in 2009 and we currently have no intentions of sending our son to public school.

In any event, there must be some minimum qualifications for subsitute teachers. In RI a person could receive emergency certification but you had to have BA in a related field, and pass a background check to sub there. It wasn't as though a plumber could be hired to teach an high school English class.

I wish them (students, parents, teachers, & taxpayers) lots of luck is about all I can say at this point.

Stephanie wrote:Sam,

In RI there was a severe shortage of certified school administrators. The RI DOE changed the rules increasing the number of days a retired administrator could sub and keep receiving pension benefits. It was a big help.

The rules vary so much from state to state and I really am not all that interested in public education here. I know that sounds terrible, I'm just tired of doing the battle. My daughter graduates in 2009 and we currently have no intentions of sending our son to public school.

In any event, there must be some minimum qualifications for subsitute teachers. In RI a person could receive emergency certification but you had to have BA in a related field, and pass a background check to sub there. It wasn't as though a plumber could be hired to teach an high school English class.

I wish them (students, parents, teachers, & taxpayers) lots of luck is about all I can say at this point.

Didn't you say you used to sub?

Yes, in Connecticut.

Stephanie wrote:Yes, in Connecticut.

Ah, ok.

I'm not sure but I think you at least have to have some education classes to sub in WV. I had thought about doing it years ago but I wasn't taking 22 hours of education classes to do it.

All I can say is something needs to be done about the absentee rate amoung teachers. You know, if a student has too many unexcused absences they, and their parents face consequences.

I know of a teacher who is out on a long term basis for the 2nd time in 3 school years because of some sort of personal "issue". Students avoid that teacher's classes like the plague because of the erratic behavior and ill temper of this teacher.

While we all may feel compassion for this teacher, shouldn't the primary concern of state and local officials be the students the school and teachers are supposed to serve? How long should this be allowed to continue before the board decides enough is enough?

We need decions makers and policies that put the needs of the students first.

Stephanie wrote:
While we all may feel compassion for this teacher, shouldn't the primary concern of state and local officials be the students the school and teachers are supposed to serve? How long should this be allowed to continue before the board decides enough is enough?

We need decions makers and policies that put the needs of the students first.

The Legislature makes "the Rules", ....... thus the Board is limited to what they can do.

And if they don't know "what is going on" they can't very well do anything about it. And most all said "going ons" are filtered through the Board Secretary, ...... and said Secretary only tells the Board Members what he/she thinks they should know.

And basically all the Board can do ....... is vote to tell the Board Secretary (Superintendent) whether or not to do something about it.

And remember now, most Board Members are retired teachers, school employees ........ or kin to one.

And besides, absenteeism, pilfering, outright theft, neglect of duties, etc., ..... is so rampart throughout every County School System ...... one could not easily "single out" any one individual to reprimand.

Not easily to single out because that "Chalk Dust Wall of Silence" would hamper any such efforts.

Not easily, because that "chalky filtering process" begins at the very bottom ...... with the teachers and service personnel. They "filter out" what they want to tell the Principals or their Supervisors (Directors) at the Board Office, ...... the Principals "filter out" what they want to tell the Superintendent(s) or his/her Directors, ..... and then the Superintendent "filters out" what he/she want to tell the Board Members. And the Board Members then "filter it out" ....... and most always comply with the recommendation(s) made by the Superintendent.

Now a "concerned" employee (or private citizen) can bypass any of the above mentioned "filters" and voice their concern(s) to a "higher authority", ....... but such things are generally ignored at all levels.

cheers

.

SamCogar wrote:
The Legislature makes "the Rules", .......
.

The same legislature that has been governing in this state for 70+ years that has driven us right in the ground.

In WV you can substitute if you have a teaching degree (obviously) OR a masters degree of any sort and are willing to sit through about 3 days of "classroom management training". These are usually referred to as 5202 subs - probably the policy number or something. 5202 subs cannot be used as longterm subs - longer than 10 days I believe.

Long term subs must hold teaching credentials in WV.

So - this article wonders why teaching jobs can't be filled - someone wanna check on pay? Someone wanna ask questions about discipline? Someone wanna talk about ridiculous paperwork/documentation requirements? Someone wanna ask about idiotic parents who call the police because we stopped their precious snowflake from beating the hell out of another student and now we have to answer to CPS and the like?

We've beat these particular horses into the ground on this (and past) boards, but it would be nice if these Fellows getting these grants to crunch numbers would look at real-world reasons for the WHY of things occurring and not JUST massaging data. And it would even nicer if the PTB would take that massaged data and do something useful with it other than using it for kitty litter.

SamCogar wrote:

Stephanie wrote:
While we all may feel compassion for this teacher, shouldn't the primary concern of state and local officials be the students the school and teachers are supposed to serve? How long should this be allowed to continue before the board decides enough is enough?

We need decions makers and policies that put the needs of the students first.

The Legislature makes "the Rules", ....... thus the Board is limited to what they can do.

And if they don't know "what is going on" they can't very well do anything about it. And most all said "going ons" are filtered through the Board Secretary, ...... and said Secretary only tells the Board Members what he/she thinks they should know.

And basically all the Board can do ....... is vote to tell the Board Secretary (Superintendent) whether or not to do something about it.

And remember now, most Board Members are retired teachers, school employees ........ or kin to one.

And besides, absenteeism, pilfering, outright theft, neglect of duties, etc., ..... is so rampart throughout every County School System ...... one could not easily "single out" any one individual to reprimand.

Not easily to single out because that "Chalk Dust Wall of Silence" would hamper any such efforts.

Not easily, because that "chalky filtering process" begins at the very bottom ...... with the teachers and service personnel. They "filter out" what they want to tell the Principals or their Supervisors (Directors) at the Board Office, ...... the Principals "filter out" what they want to tell the Superintendent(s) or his/her Directors, ..... and then the Superintendent "filters out" what he/she want to tell the Board Members. And the Board Members then "filter it out" ....... and most always comply with the recommendation(s) made by the Superintendent.

Now a "concerned" employee (or private citizen) can bypass any of the above mentioned "filters" and voice their concern(s) to a "higher authority", ....... but such things are generally ignored at all levels.

cheers

.

Sam,

I'm very sorry I missed this post earlier.

I don't think I need to tell you this, but those board members who don't know what is going on in the buildings they are responsible for are not doing their job. They must have taken an oath when they took office and they are not honoring that oath.

These board members shouldn't just be showing up for regularly scheduled meetings and depending soley on the superintendent for information. They have other avenues available to them and I suggest they use them.

They should be visiting schools within their district during the school year and during school hours, each and every school at least once a year. They should also put in appearances at PTO/PTA meetings, school improvement team meetings and they should make themselves available to parents and teachers.

If school board members would take these steps they'd be a lot more likely to have a good idea what's going on in the district they are supposed to be serving. If they made themselves accessible they will find people talk to them and they will hear about things administrators will not tell them. If they just take a look around frequently they will see many of the problems administration will not show them.

I say this based on personal experience. Around 10 years ago when there was a huge uproar over facilities I made it my business to go out and just visit every school in the district. The elementary school with the most vocal parents and teachers was the first stop on my list. Two of their chief complaints were the clinic provided no place for a sick child to rest and the stage in the "cafetorium" couldn't be used because it was being used for storage.

I called ahead and made arrangements for the principal to show me around. Those parents were right about the stage and the clinic. The stage was covered with old desks and chairs that should have been discarded a decades before. By the time I got there much of this stuff would be called antiques, not even junk any more. The clinic was a nightmarish maze of boxes containing student immunization records and the like for the previous 30 years. That school nurse never organized or got rid of anything. There was storage space available for old records, she just never utilized it.

Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to say nothing? I mean I kept my lips zipped in that building. I didn't say a freaking word to the nurse or the principal about their idiocy. I just thanked the principal for showing me around and drove my hind end to the superintendent's office.

The clinic and the stage (and a few other areas parent's weren't complaining about) were cleaned up within a week and the principal retired at the end of that school year. Gee whiz that was hard.

My point is, citizen members should expect more from their elected school board members than sitting on their hind ends a couple of times a month just swallowing every word school administrators spew forth.

wvsasha wrote:
So - this article wonders why teaching jobs can't be filled - someone wanna check on pay? Someone wanna ask questions about discipline? Someone wanna talk about ridiculous paperwork/documentation requirements? Someone wanna ask about idiotic parents who call the police because we stopped their precious snowflake from beating the hell out of another student and now we have to answer to CPS and the like?

Sasha, I do believe your concerns have been "addressed" quite a few times, ...... at least on these Forums.

But each time they are, the repercussions from said are mostly 100% dependent on "whose Ox is being gored".

Sasha, your noted concerns of: pay, discipline, ridiculous paperwork/documentation requirements, idiotic parents, etc., …….. and the noted concerns others have voiced such as employee: absenteeism, dereliction of duties, incompetence, waste, pilfering, theft, etc., …… are not, and I repeat, ….. are not ….. independent unrelated “concerns”, …… but are all interrelated and/or connected “concerns”, …… like that of a “spider web”.

Very few people will address or discuss said “concerns” as such, but will only address and/or discuss each one independently and only on its own merits.

aka: WV Teachers should have a pay increase because other States pay their Teachers higher wages.

And therein lies the actual problem that inhibits any resolution of the other "problems".

Sasha, of course some Teachers, a minority of the total, deserve a pay raise because of the demands and complexity of the subject matter they teach and their abilities to teach it.

Other Teachers, a part of the majority total, deserve a pay decrease and/or fired because their duties are neither complex nor demanding and/or they are incompetent and lack the abilities to be an effective Teacher.

But, one can no award the former group with a pay raise “for excellence” ….. without awarding the latter group the same amount of increased pay, ….. nor can they decrease their pay or even terminate their employment.

And “DUH”, if their pay can not be decreased and their employment can not be terminated, there is no “compelling incentives” for them to become a better teacher, ..... to be concerned about the students learning, ....... to be concerned about their absenteeism, ..... to be concerned about disciplining the students, ...... to be concerned about the care and maintenance of the school facility, ....... to be concerned about the waste, destruction, pilfering and/or theft of school resources ........ or to be concerned about anything any of the other employees do or don’t do.

Thus, their “lack of concern” breeds a lack of concern in other employees, ……. which then exacerbates the student learning problem, ….. the teacher absenteeism problem, ……. the student discipline problem, …… the care and maintenance problem, …. the waste, destruction, pilfering and/or theft problem, etc.

Thus, because of the exacerbation of all the aforementioned problems, the Administrators not only have to CTA for permitting said to happen, …… they have to PJE it,, …. provide Proof of Job Existence, ….. which they do by creating all said “ridiculous paperwork/documentation requirements”.

And thus, because of the exacerbated lack-of-discipline problem, the students have learned that they can do just about anything they want to do, …….. and get by with it. And their “idiotic parents” have learned that they “hold the upper hand” in any complaint they file against any Teacher that attempts to discipline their children.

Thus, we have a "connected web" ........ of cause and effects.

And it all stems from ........ Teacher tenure laws and mandatory pay scales.

cheers

.

Stephanie wrote: Sam,

I don't think I need to tell you this, but those board members who don't know what is going on in the buildings they are responsible for are not doing their job. They must have taken an oath when they took office and they are not honoring that oath.

These board members shouldn't just be showing up for regularly scheduled meetings and depending soley on the superintendent for information. They have other avenues available to them and I suggest they use them.

They should be visiting schools within their district during the school year and during school hours, each and every school at least once a year. They should also put in appearances at PTO/PTA meetings, school improvement team meetings and they should make themselves available to parents and teachers.

If school board members would take these steps they'd be a lot more likely to have a good idea what's going on in the district they are supposed to be serving. If they made themselves accessible they will find people talk to them and they will hear about things administrators will not tell them. If they just take a look around frequently they will see many of the problems administration will not show them.

I say this based on personal experience. Around 10 years ago when there was a huge uproar over facilities I made it my business to go out and just visit every school in the district. The elementary school with the most vocal parents and teachers was the first stop on my list. Two of their chief complaints were the clinic provided no place for a sick child to rest and the stage in the "cafetorium" couldn't be used because it was being used for storage.

I called ahead and made arrangements for the principal to show me around. Those parents were right about the stage and the clinic. The stage was covered with old desks and chairs that should have been discarded a decades before. By the time I got there much of this stuff would be called antiques, not even junk any more. The clinic was a nightmarish maze of boxes containing student immunization records and the like for the previous 30 years. That school nurse never organized or got rid of anything. There was storage space available for old records, she just never utilized it.

Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to say nothing? I mean I kept my lips zipped in that building. I didn't say a freaking word to the nurse or the principal about their idiocy. I just thanked the principal for showing me around and drove my hind end to the superintendent's office.

The clinic and the stage (and a few other areas parent's weren't complaining about) were cleaned up within a week and the principal retired at the end of that school year. Gee whiz that was hard.

My point is, citizen members should expect more from their elected school board members than sitting on their hind ends a couple of times a month just swallowing every word school administrators spew forth.

Stephanie, let me "clue you in" on something.

If you think that you might ever vie for a position as a Member of any School Board in WV, ...... I suggest that you delete the contents of your post that I extracted the above from, ......... and tell me to delete the contents of this one, ...... and never again mention any aspects of said context.

Failure to do so and you will never be "voted in" as a School Board Member in any County in WV.

The majority of School employees do not want any "concerned smart arses" like you or I as a Member of their School Board.



.

The teachers of West Virginia have nothing to fear, Sammy. I did my tour of duty, thank you very much.

I was threatened by parents for suspending bus riding priviledges of students who viciously assaulted other students, for revoking parking priviledges of students with failing grades, for suspending students who assaulted teachers.

I was threatened by teachers for not caving into unreasonable contract demands, for demanding they follow the curriculum, and every time I made any effort to hold them accountable for their job performance.

I was threatened by administrators when brought to light their incompetencies or when I overruled them when severely punished students who were guilty of nothing more than bruising their egos.

Some threatened me physically, most did not. All were meant to intimidate. I will say, I was never once threatened by any of the students who came before us, not even the kids appealing decisions that removed them from a bus, a sports team, or school itself.

I fully understand your disappointment at not being elected. I think they did you a favor. I don't know why anyone in their right mind would want such a position. They couldn't pay me enough.

Stephanie

"aka: WV Teachers should have a pay increase because other States pay their Teachers higher wages."

Here's alot of our problem. When's the last time, as a parent, you gave/allowed your child to have/do something just because "everyone else was doing it".

If the teachers would take the stance that "here is what we do, here is the data, here is the PJE" and take the emotional plea out of it, then maybe we would be treated more as professionals.

But when we whine, most adults respond as they do to their children, they ignore us.

However, to be fair - the other side of the desk isn't truly interested in listening to what it is we do and our issues in depth, so we slip into squeaky wheel and 4-word slogans for signs mode.

It would be nice if the teacher organizations would realize this.

wvsasha wrote: But when we whine, most adults respond as they do to their children, they ignore us.

Sasha, that statement ....... doesn't jive .......... with this statement you previously made, to wit:

wvsasha wrote: Someone wanna ask about idiotic parents who call the police because we stopped their precious snowflake from beating the hell out of another student and now we have to answer to CPS and the like?

Apparently those idiotic parents you speak of ..... are not ignoring their "whining kids".

.

SamCogar wrote:

wvsasha wrote: But when we whine, most adults respond as they do to their children, they ignore us.

Sasha, that statement ....... doesn't jive .......... with this statement you previously made, to wit:

wvsasha wrote: Someone wanna ask about idiotic parents who call the police because we stopped their precious snowflake from beating the hell out of another student and now we have to answer to CPS and the like?

Apparently those idiotic parents you speak of ..... are not ignoring their "whining kids".

.

LOL! Good catch Sam!

wvsasha wrote:

So - this article wonders why teaching jobs can't be filled - someone wanna check on pay?

So you think you should be paid MORE then someone with a similar education. I read that on average, a teacher is paid about 88% of other profesionals with the same degree.

Consdiering a teacher works about 85% of what other profesionals do, how is that not fair?

Aaron wrote:

wvsasha wrote:

So - this article wonders why teaching jobs can't be filled - someone wanna check on pay?

So you think you should be paid MORE then someone with a similar education. I read that on average, a teacher is paid about 88% of other profesionals with the same degree.

Consdiering a teacher works about 85% of what other profesionals do, how is that not fair?

You obviously have no clue what we do and go through.

Aaron wrote:
So you think you should be paid MORE then someone with a similar education. I read that on average, a teacher is paid about 88% of other profesionals with the same degree.

Consdiering a teacher works about 85% of what other profesionals do, how is that not fair?

I'll betcha not these "professionals".

Meanwhile, the list of highest-paid state employees by agency includes:

Attorney General, chief deputy AG Fran Hughes, $129,600; Auditor’s Office, senior deputy auditor Lisa Hopkins, $104,802; Administration, PEIA physician director Dr. Shelda Martin, $154,164. (PEIA director Ted Cheatham was second, at $138,000); DHHR, physician director Dr. Shahid Masood, $161,292; Education, superintendent Steve Paine, $175,000; Governor’s Office, chief of staff Larry Puccio, $106,660; Division of Highways, deputy commissioner Paul Turman, $96,193; Insurance Commission, chief administrative law judge Timothy Leach, $99,108; Lottery Commission, director John Musgrave, $92,500; Natural Resources, executive secretary Harry Price, $79,248; Public Service Commission, general counsel Richard Hitt, $97,320; Department of Revenue, secretary Virgil Helton, $85,000; Secretary of State, chief counsel Greg Howard, $75,000; Tax Division, commissioner Chris Morris, $92,500; Treasurer’s Office, general counsel Diana Stout, $100,608; Education and the Arts, secretary Kay Goodwin, $85,000.

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Top+Stories/2008012014?pt=10

wvsasha wrote:You obviously have no clue what we do and go through.

Oh, you might be suprised but for the sake of this discussion, why don't you give me a general idea.