PSS to phase out substitute teachers

Substitute teachers in public schools may have to look for jobs elsewhere following disclosure that the Public School System is planning to phase them out starting next school year.
PSS finance director Derek Sasamoto disclosed this to Saipan Tribune, adding that the budget proposal for fiscal year 2015 indicates the system’s goal of hiring more full-time classroom teachers. PSS specifically requests to restore 117 positions, 50 of which are classroom teachers.

A substitute teacher is hired on an on-call basis and is usually given a short-term contract depending on the need. They are paid $100 per day if they possess a bachelor’s degree, while associate degree holders receive $60 per day.

Regular classroom teachers’ salaries are determined by the system’s compensation plan and are required to have higher credentials, including having a degree, certifications, years of experience, and Praxis 1 and 2 tests, among other requirements.

Sasamoto said that PSS has been tapping the services of substitutes for many years now due to the limited funding allocated for public schools.

Saipan Tribune learned that the number of substitutes at PSS varies but there were 39 as of last week.

“We’ve requested additional funding for personnel cost because we want to eliminate substitutes. It is PSS’ goal to have full-time classroom teachers 100 percent,” said Sasamoto.

Despite the lower cost of hiring substitutes, Sasamoto believes in the cost-benefit of filling all positions with full-time teachers.

“The cost-benefit is there: you meet the HQT requirement and curriculum and instruction are assured of higher quality and that’s worth the investment,” he said.

“I am not saying that substitutes are of less quality, but just the fact that we have qualifications and requirements set…this will bring consistency to the system in fully meeting the ‘highly qualified teachers’ mandate [of the U.S. Department of Education),” he added.

Meantime, Sasamoto assured that the PSS compensation policy is being strictly enforced.

“I process those things regularly and I can assure you, everything is based on the compensation plan,” he said.

PSS has compensation packages for teachers, counselors, and administrators, among other employees.

Records show that 33 school administrators—mainly principals and vice principals—receive salaries that range from $40,000 to $60,000 per annum depending on their credentials. Many administrators earn an average of $52,125.87.

PSS’ 21 school counselors receive salaries that range from $30,976 to $47,001 per annum. The average salary of counselors, PSS disclosed, is $35,933 per annum.

The compensation package of related service providers ranges from $29,906 to $47,001. PSS has 12 employees classified as related service providers, many of whom earn an average of $44,281 per annum.