Substitute Teachers Get a Raise

After 10 years, Piedmont's substitute teachers are finally getting a wage increase. Effective Aug. 1, the full-day rate will go up from $100 to $120 and the half-day rate from $50 to $60. The rate for long-term subs (in the classroom more 20 consecutive school days) will remain $150 a day.

PUSD had not updated the daily pay rates since the 1999-2000 academic year and had fallen to the bottom of the heap in Alameda County in terms of compensation for substitutes. The changes bring Piedmont up to mid-level in comparison to nearby districts—Alameda, for example, pays short-term subs $100 for a full day, Emeryville pays $150.

The update is intended to put PUSD in a better position to attract and retain "qualified and effective" subs, said Assistant Superintendent Randy Booker.

"When we have highly effective and qualified subs who return and return and return … they get to know our students, our systems, our protocols, our policies," he said.

Though it comes at a time when Piedmont's staff teachers have accepted continued furlough days and a cap on benefits that will mean an effective reduction in compensation, no one stepped up to voice dissent against the raise for substitutes Wednesday.

"I think it's appropriate ... We're obviously behind what other people are paying," said school board member Rick Raushenbush.

Assistant Superintendent Michael Brady estimated that the increases would cost the district $10,000 to $20,000 in 2011-2012, depending on how many days staff are absent during the year. He said that amount had been included in the district's adopted budget in anticipation of the rate changes.

Booker speculated that the new rates would help PUSD build its pool of subs and reduce the need to pay staffers to cover for absent colleagues.

"Hopefully there could be a cost savings in this for us, actually," Booker said.