In an effort to improve classroom coverage and potentially save money, the Philadelphia School District is exploring the option of hiring a private company to provide substitute teachers.
According to
The Notebook, the District posted a
request for proposal on Friday seeking bids to fill about 500 empty classrooms every day. Currently, only 64 percent of those vacancies can be filled by the District's pool of substitutes, which ends up causing school disruptions and further raises costs.
Naomi Wyatt, the District's chief talent officer, talked about the problem and defined what the District is looking for in a private partner.
"We recognize that we need to improve the quality and quantity of substitutes available to all District schools," Wyatt said. "We are seeking a vendor that can provide high-quality substitutes at a 90 percent fill rate."
The annual cost of the current substitute system is $18.6 million for all positions, including teachers, principals, secretaries, supportive services assistants, and cleaners. The District will seek a company that can provide all of these roles, allowing non-union workers except in the case of cleaners.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers now has a membership of about 1,300 substitute teachers, but Wyatt believes the pool is not large enough and that too often those with PFT are unwilling to be flexible in terms of the school, the date, and the position requested.
PFT President Jerry Jordan questioned the necessity and wisdom of using a private vendor, suggesting that the shortage of substitutes may have been contrived as part of an agenda to outsource.
According to Wyatt, however, the District currently has only 4 employees managing the paperwork for substitutes, with all notifications handled electronically. The uniformity of the system doesn't allow for incentives or closer attention to recruiting, training, and placement.
The District is hoping to receive bids from six to eight vendors by the May 1st RFP deadline and get approval from the School Reform Commission at its May meeting. Wyatt aims to have a vendor contract in place to start in September.
In the event a firm is hired and a contract is executed, Jordan said the union will explore all available legal options to reverse the decision.
Other districts that have used private companies for substitutes include Camden, Jersey City, Bethlehem, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, and Kansas City.
Wyatt stressed that the primary purpose of hiring a private vendor is to improve the District's substitute quality and fill rate. If the District can realize savings in the process, that would be an added benefit.
Stock/AP
