NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The public schools are hoping to recruit and retain substitute teachers by bumping up their pay.
The School Committee earlier this month approved increasing the pay scale by $35 to $55 a day and creating a new base of $130 for substitutes with fewer credentials.
"It's been very hard to get substitutes. Many substitutes sign up to sub in multiple districts, and so in order to remain competitive ... we really needed to kind of align our expectations for substitutes, as well as the salary with our neighboring districts," said Superintendent Barbara Malkas.
Nancy Rauscher, director of school finance and operations, said she had contacted business administrators at other schools to work out what they were paying substitutes.
"I did a blend, and it was Lenox, Mount Greylock and Hoosac Valley, and we're landing somewhere right in the middle," she said. "Mount Greylock is at the highest and then Lenox and Hoosac Valley are lower."
Mount Greylock is paying $210 for a certified/retired teacher, Hoosac $140 and Lenox $150, with less for just a college degree. North Adams has been paying a straight $115 per diem and $130 for permanent daily subs.
The new scale increases the per diem and permanent to $150 with college degree or $170 for certified/retired teachers.
A permanent daily sub is a full-time employee who works five days a week and receives benefits. Per diems work up to three days a week.
A new base at $130 allows for at least 48 college credits or passing the ParaPro Assessment, required for teaching assistants.
"One of the objectives was to literally increase the pool of substitutes available to us," said Rauscher. "What we did is we took a look at some of the local districts and their configurations, and also what their scales look like. And one of the decisions that was made was to actually eliminate the criteria of having to have a college degree to be a substitute teacher."
She estimated the total cost for the raises at $55,000, or about one full-time teaching equivalent.
Committee member Richard Alcombright asked which category took the most positions; Assistant Superintendent Timothy Callahan responded, "the problem is we don't have any subs."
But he estimated most would fall in the "college degree" category though the school system hasn't been making that distinction in hiring.
"They tend not to be certified. We haven't had the credential lowered to just a ParaPro ... we're hoping that that will open our pool," Callahan said. "But the reality is, myself, Barbara, the principals, are subbing for these classes right now, so it is a less expensive option."
Malkas said the contract allows for teaching assistants to cover for a teacher, "to sub in effect, so this amount aligns to the in-district TA who has the same credentials as our first per diem category. ...
"So it only makes sense that if we feel that the classroom can be subbed with an existing TA, with that level of credential, that that also be available to individuals who have decided to sign up to be a per diem."
In other business:
• The committee approved school improvement plans and contract language for salary differentials of $3,760 for certified support services (occupational and physical therapists, speech language pathologists and teachers of visually impaired).
Malkas said this for recruitment and retention as North Adams is not only competing with other school districts but health-care establishments as well.
• Accepted a $500 donation to the Drury band from 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance Inc. and donations of $5,000 each from the Ruth Proud Trust and from an anonymous donor to benefit the afterschool ski club for Grades 3 to 6.
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Snow, Sleet & High Winds for Presidents Day Weekend
Another weekend, another storm for the Berkshires.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., is forecasting 3 to 6 inches of mixed precipitation beginning Saturday afternoon. A winter weather advisory is in effect from 1 p.m. on Saturday to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
This expected to followed by high winds Sunday night with gusts reaching up to 60 mph. Strong winds combined with any ice on trees could result in additional power outages. A high wind watch is in effect from 7 p.m. Sunday through Monday evening.
Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous from snow, sleet and ice accumulations. Plan on slippery road conditions. Power outages and tree damage are possible due to the ice, snow and winds.
North Adams, Pittsfield and other communities have declared snow emergencies which means no parking on the street. In Pittsfield, parking is allowed only on the odd side of the street on Saturday beginning at 7 a.m. and the even side, also beginning at 7 a.m., on Monday. Downtown residents are being encouraged to the McKay Street parking garage free of charge during the emergency.
Travelers should allow for extra travel time and check forecasts for their routes and destinations and, if possible, consider using public transportation in place of a personal vehicle. MassDOT crews have been pretreating roadways in advance of the storm and will be deploying snow removal staff and equipment as necessary across the commonwealth. Download the?Mass511?mobile app or visit?www.mass511.com?to view live cameras, travel times, real-time traffic conditions.
National Grid is preparing for icing, snow, hazardous winds and cold temperatures. Wind gusts have the potential to damage trees and knock down power lines, causing power outages in impacted locations. Icing can lead to sagging powerlines and tree limbs. The timing of the changeover to snow and freezing rain will influence snow and ice amounts, with higher snow totals across Western Massachusetts.
Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous from snow, sleet and ice accumulations. Plan on slippery road conditions. Power outages and tree damage are possible due to the ice, snow and winds.
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