The Substitute Shortage: Principals Forced to Teach K-12 Classes

Public school districts across the country are facing a severe operational crisis. A critical lack of substitute teachers has forced principals, counselors, and administrative staff out of their offices and into the classroom. This daily scramble to cover empty desks is disrupting standard school operations and adding extreme pressure to an already stressed educational system.

The Morning Scramble in Public Schools

Every morning around 6:00 AM, school administrators log into automated absence systems like Frontline Education to check their daily fill rates. The fill rate is the percentage of absent teachers who have a substitute assigned to their classroom. Before 2020, a healthy district expected a fill rate of 80 percent or higher. Today, many districts routinely face fill rates below 50 percent.

When a classroom is left without a guest teacher, a chaotic domino effect begins. First, the school administration will ask regular classroom teachers to give up their planning periods to cover the class. If no teachers are available, the school will pull instructional coaches, reading specialists, and special education co-teachers away from their scheduled duties. When all those options are exhausted, the principal or assistant principal has to step in and teach the class.

According to data from the EdWeek Research Center, more than 70 percent of principals and district administrators report that they have had to personally cover classes due to staffing shortages.

The High Cost to School Operations

Having a principal teach a K-12 class sounds like great leadership on the surface. However, it severely limits a school’s ability to function normally. A principal’s daily schedule is highly structured. They are responsible for conducting state-mandated teacher evaluations, managing student discipline, overseeing campus security, and meeting with parents.

When a principal is teaching seventh-grade science or kindergarten reading for four hours, the entire building feels the impact. Behavioral issues in other classrooms cannot be addressed immediately. Important individualized education program (IEP) meetings for students with disabilities must be rescheduled. Furthermore, when reading specialists are pulled to cover general education classes, the students who need the most academic help lose their targeted intervention time.

Driving Factors Behind the Shortage

The substitute teacher shortage is not a mystery. It comes down to a combination of low wages, lack of benefits, and intense competition from the gig economy.

Low Daily Wages

Substitute teaching is almost always a daily contract position without health insurance, paid sick leave, or retirement benefits. Pay varies wildly depending on the state and the specific school district. In large urban systems like the Los Angeles Unified School District, substitutes can earn over $200 per day. However, in many rural and suburban districts in the Midwest and South, the daily rate often hovers between $85 and $115 per day.

When broken down to an hourly rate, a substitute making $95 for a seven-hour school day earns roughly $13.50 an hour.

Competition from Other Industries

School districts are competing directly with retail and gig economy jobs for the same pool of flexible workers. Companies like Target and Amazon offer starting wages of $15 or more per hour, often with predictable breaks and less emotional stress. Gig platforms like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash allow workers to set their exact hours without having to manage the behavior of 30 energetic children.

Challenging Work Environments

Student behavior has become noticeably more challenging over the past few years. Substitute teachers are walking into unfamiliar classrooms where they do not know the students’ names, the established routines, or the specific disciplinary triggers. Without adequate support, many guest teachers decide the low pay is not worth the high stress.

How School Districts Are Responding

To keep their doors open, states and local school boards are taking aggressive steps to rebuild their substitute teacher pools.

Lowering Education Requirements

Historically, many states required substitute teachers to hold a four-year bachelor’s degree. To widen the applicant pool, states have rapidly relaxed these rules. Florida, Missouri, and Michigan are among the states that now allow individuals with a high school diploma or a limited number of college credits to apply for a substitute teaching license.

Increasing Financial Incentives

Districts are raising daily rates and offering bonuses to stay competitive. Some districts have implemented tiered pay systems. For example, a substitute might earn $110 on a normal Tuesday but $150 if they agree to work on a Friday, which is traditionally the hardest day to fill. Other districts offer a $500 bonus for substitutes who commit to working at least 15 days in a single month.

Hiring Permanent Building Substitutes

Instead of relying entirely on day-to-day freelancers, many districts are hiring permanent “building substitutes.” These individuals report to the same school building every single day. If a teacher is absent, they cover that specific class. If everyone is present, they act as an aide or tutor. Building substitutes generally receive a higher daily rate, guaranteed hours, and sometimes access to district health benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there a substitute teacher shortage?

The shortage is primarily driven by low pay, a lack of employee benefits, and competition from other flexible jobs. Managing a classroom of students is difficult work, and many potential substitutes choose to work in retail or the gig economy for similar pay and less stress.

How much do substitute teachers make?

Pay depends heavily on the local school district. Daily rates can range from $80 in rural areas to over $200 in major cities. Long-term substitutes (those who take over a class for several weeks due to a maternity or medical leave) typically earn a higher daily rate than day-to-day substitutes.

Do substitute teachers need a college degree?

Requirements vary by state. While many states used to require a bachelor’s degree, the ongoing shortage has forced legislative changes. Today, many states require only an associate degree, 60 college credits, or just a high school diploma alongside a background check.