Local schools change substitute teacher guidelines amidst the pandemic
and last updated 2021-03-05 06:49:27-05
PORTSMOUTH, Va. - For generations, when teachers have called out, substitutes have stepped in.
However, in Portsmouth, the pandemic has forced the public school system to change when substitutes are used.
Jessica Duren, the executive director of human resources for Portsmouth Public Schools, said, Typically, if a teacher was going to be out for any significant amount of time, they would be able to secure a substitute. Because of virtual instruction that has been going on for 2020-2021, we have been using long-term substitutes. [Teachers] can certainly take off whatever time that they need, but if they do take off for less than five days, then a substitute will not be secured [and] their colleagues will be helping to stand in the gap.