PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia School District is offering daily bonuses to address a shortage of substitute teachers, nurses and support staff.
Through next April, substitute teachers, librarians and counselors will get a $50 daily bump. Substitute nurses will get an extra $100 a day.
“This is a response directly aimed at the wage and bonus structure to entice individuals that maybe had previous experience to come back into the classroom,” said Brad Beckner, the northeast regional vice president of operations for Kelly Education, which provides substitutes for the Philadelphia School District.
The $50 bonus would boost the daily pay of an uncertified substitute to $176.76.
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The hourly rate for substitute food service assistants is going from $9.50 to $14 with a $20 daily bonus, and the pay for substitute secretaries and teaching assistants increases from $11 to $15 an hour with a bonus of $20 a day.
Amid the pandemic, demand for substitutes in Philadelphia has risen while the supply has dropped.
“It’s no secret that there was a pretty significant shortage of labor in the instructional areas prior to the pandemic,” Beckner told KYW Newsradio.
“The pandemic really made that situation even more significant.”
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Beckner predicted the number of available substitutes would increase because of the bonuses.
“The current active pool is roughly 1,000 individuals in the instructional area and I’m looking at this wage increase to double that pool within the next 6 to 8 weeks,” he said.
Those interested in becoming substitutes can apply at TeachKidsNow.com, or by calling 215-604-1030.
