With a pandemic here to stay for the foreseeable future, it may have an impact on the availability of classroom substitutes.

Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency Chief Administrator Susie Meade tells Raccoon Valley Radio as per Governor Kim Reynolds’ public health emergency proclamation, some of the qualifications to be a sub have been adjusted. She says to be a certified classroom sub, an individual must be at least 20-years-old, have an associates college degree or 60 hours of credit course work completed, and take a substitute authorization course of 20 hours that can be done virtually through any of the AEAs. 

Prior to COVID-19, Meade says subs could only work a certain amount of days, but now they can work everyday if they wish. She encourages interested individuals to at least become a certified substitute.

“Actually you can teach at any level. I would highly suggest if you have a love for kids at the elementary or you really appreciate working with students at the high school, I would say substitute in the area in which you enjoy the most.”

Greene County Schools Superintendent Tim Christensen talks about his concerns with lessened restrictions to become a sub by the Iowa Department of Education.

“They have not publicly said that the lessening of the requirements is going to be something that’s going to be extended forever. As of right now, it’s until the end of the emergency declaration, which right now is December 31st. So for somebody to quit their job and get their sub authorization and sub for the next four months to then find out – hopefully – that we go back to normal January 1st and you can no longer substitute. It’s hard for me to encourage somebody to take that step without us knowing about that.”

Meade says there is a $145 fee to take the course, and another $160 for the authorization certificate and a background check. For more information, check out the Prairie Lakes AEA website.