Decatur Township school district seeks subs, hosts career fair

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Decatur Township school district is hoping to attract candidates for open positions desperately needed to give students a good education.

The district is working with a staffing company to hire more substitute teachers.

“Its’ difficult times and in trying to deal with those we’re trying to get good people in the classroom,” Superintendent Matthew Prusiecki said.

According to the staffing company that works with Decatur Township, Kelly Education, the district is looking to hire around 40 substitute teachers for schools across the district.

“The need is bigger now more than ever, so I would say probably 20% to 30% more before the pandemic is the need,” Angela Miller, client services lead at Kelly Education, said.

On Monday, a career fair at the Decatur Township Public Library helped schools that need more substitute teachers.

The Decatur Township superintendent says the teacher supply in Indiana is being squeezed by fewer interested college graduates. “The numbers just aren’t as plentiful as they once were, so we’re just a little more focused in really trying to take advantage of every opportunity to get the best adults in our schools,” Prusiecki said.

The Kelly Education lead said, “People just didn’t go back to work or you know, I think some of the teachers took the early retirement.”

The superintendent said, “There is a teacher shortage, and as that, the opportunity to find highly qualified teachers, the need for highly qualified substitutes, has increased, so one way or the other, you want to find good adults to put in front of our children.”

According to Kelly Education, it can take 5 to 14 days for someone to become a substitute teacher.

They say substitute teachers get paid $125 per day and $10 more per day if they’re teaching in a special education classroom.

Kelly Education offers flexible scheduling, free ongoing classroom management training, health care, and more.

The superintendent says to have more substitute teachers means giving teachers who are filling in some relief. “Moving forward, we’re just putting more emphasis and putting more time, and trying to take care of this challenge on the front end,” Prusiecki said.

Career fairs will happen around Indianapolis:

• Tuesday, Warren Township, Moorhead Community Resource Center, 8400 E. 10th St., 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Perry Township, School Administration Center PTEC Building, 6548 Orinoco Ave., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• March 21, Washington Township, H. Dean Evans Community and Education Center, 8550 Woodfield Crossing Blvd., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• March 23, Beech Grove, Mocha Nut Coffee Shop, 1625 E. Southport Road, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.