Connecticut, like many places around the nation, is facing a substitute teacher shortage made worse by the pandemic.
While some retired teachers may return to substitute teaching once health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic abate, the low pay and lack of support causing much of the shortage won’t disappear with the pandemic.
CEA President Kate Dias said many teachers are avoiding taking necessary days when they feel ill because of the stress it will place on their colleagues.
“I think we have to actively look at how do we recruit substitute teachers, how do we compensate them, and how do we support them,” she told Channel 3.
Dias has been interviewed recently by a number of media outlets on this issue. Watch, read, and listen to the coverage below.
- News 8: Shortage of Substitute Teachers Impacting School Districts Across Connecticut
- News 3: Schools Across CT Are Struggling to Find Substitute Teachers
- Hartford Courant: Shortage of Substitute Teachers Compounding Stress at Connecticut Schools
- WTIC Newstalk 1080: Substitute Teacher Shortage – Conversation with CEA President Kate Dias
