One of the local pastors in Brevard County stepped up as a substitute teacher. He hoped to help bring back the educational system on track.
Addressing Need for Substitute Teachers
In a report with Spectrum News, Jeff Brown is a full-time pastor at his local church. Brown was also one of the hundreds who signed up as a substitute teacher.
The news report addressed the challenges the educational system faces. It said that the area is experiencing a shortage of substitute teachers, and Brevard County is one of them.
Need to Help School System
The pastor explained that serving the school system is his way of serving the community.
He said that his wife also works in education, so it was only natural for him to do his part.
Brown is now a substitute teacher at West Melbourne Elementary School. He teaches Science to his students.
The pastor said that his two children also go to the same school.
He shared that he did what he could to make the class his own. The pastor teaches a class of second graders at the elementary school.
The pastor told the news outlet that he does his best to bond with his students despite his busy schedule. He explained that it is important for him to go beyond what normal subs would do.
Brown added that it is also critical that everyone in the community would do what they could to help the educational system.
He explained that substitute teachers give teachers peace of mind.
Brown said that he is there to develop a good co-parenting relationship with the educators in the country.
Labor Shortage in Country
In a report with Click Orlando, Brevard County is working to address the national labor shortage of substitute teachers.
BPS spokesman Russell Bruhn admitted that Brevard had a pool of applicants.
He explained that many of them did refuse the job offer whenever they were called to work.
Bruhn noted that the district had seen a lot of applicants rejecting work offers over the last few months.
He said that COVID-19 only worsened the shortage of substitute teachers.
The spokesman explained that most of the applicants were older people. Their age made them more vulnerable to the virus.
He said many of them found the working conditions unsafe.
Other factors that made them reject the offer were the low pay and the nature of the job.
Making it Easier for Subs
Spectrum News said that the district lowered the age requirements for some schools.
Katherine Allen, a spokesperson for the school system, explained that the coronavirus made substitutes more important.
The district has also waived all fees such as drug testing, fingerprinting, and certification.
They also lowered the age requirement from 21-years-old to 18-years-old.
Allen explained that they noted that many college students were seeking their education degrees but were not 21 years old yet.
She said that the district has around 1,000 substitute teachers on its roster. Out of these numbers, only 400 applicants are looking for work.
Allen added that they receive an average of 3,000 requests for substitute teachers every month.
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