Substitute Shortage Strains School Systems

In New Hampshire, there is no certification for substitutes and these temporary teachers need only a high school diploma or GED.

Even before the pandemic, about one in five requests for substitutes were unfulfilled nationally; educators say it’s gotten worse since then.

Day to day, the role of substitute teachers may seem insignificant, but the impact of substitutes and the shortage of them adds up.

Students will spend roughly one academic year, on average, being taught by substitute teachers as they make their way from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Each day, about eight percent of teachers are absent, according to national data.