Long-term substitute teachers can lead to poorer educational results, study suggests

A study of schools in North Carolina by, among others, Duke University economist Charles Clotfelter, suggests that the long-term use of substitute teachers to plug the gaps left by absentee full-time teachers may be having a detrimental effect on children’s education.

Though the statistics aren’t readily to hand in the source article, claims are that, in general, schools’ use of subs for long-term (a year or more) teaching posts has dramatically increased over the last few years.

Discipline and learning problems often accompany a substitute teacher, because they don’t have the same plans and behavioural knowledge of a class as the regular teacher should have.

“Teachers often have to re-teach material, restore order and rebuild relationships after absences,” said Miller, who is conducting the research with Harvard University education professors.

This is not to say that substitute teachers are not worthy, or highly qualified, for the role — simply that the situation is not ideal.

(Via The Reporter)