Program trains non-teachers to be teacher subsitutes

A new program is underway to train more people to be substitute teachers in the state of Iowa. The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners approved the program because of the statewide shortage of substitute teachers, and it will allow those who qualify to receive authorization to be a sub. Sheryl Frascht (Frost) is a Professional Development Consultant with the Northern Trails Area Education Agency (NTAEA) in Clear Lake. She says if you are 21 or older, have a 4-year college degree and can pass a Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation background check, you can be certified. They take a 20 hour class that features four topics:ethics, diversity, instructional strategies and classroom management. Frascht says there’s also some hands on experience involved as well. In addition to the class time, they go into a classroom and shadow an exemplary teacher and also must complete mandatory child abuse reporter trainer, so there’s about 24 hours of total training involved. Frascht says there is a real need for substitute teachers in middle and high school classrooms. She says this opens the door for people who did not choose education for a degree, but who have an interest in substitute teaching at the middle school and high school level. Northern Trails is one of 15 Area Education Agencies offering the program across the state. If you are interested, contact the A-E-A office for your area.