Press Release
HUNTINGTON: With the approach of the new school year, the Emery School District is working on building up its bank of guest teachers (substitutes). The district is also offering guest teachers and prospective guest teachers an opportunity to participate in on-line training which will not only prepare them for their classroom experiences but which will also increase their substitute pay.
“While we currently have a strong pool of guest teachers we call on often to substitute teach,” Ralph Worthen, the district’s supervisor over the guest teacher program, said, “we are always looking to add to that list so that we will be able to meet the needs of our schools at even the most critical of times.”
Mr. Worthen pointed out that the process to become a guest teacher is fairly simple and involves filling out and submitting an employment application (available at the district office or downloaded from the district website) and completing a one-time background check which can also be done at the district office. Cost of the background check is $57.75. Guest-teacher training is not required but recommended.
In the past, the district has provided training for substitute teachers prior to the start of a new school year. Completion of that training would increase guest-teacher pay by $5 per day. According to Mr. Worthen, that training has had mixed results, including limited participation. As a result, the district is adopting an on-line training program going into the new school year.
The supervisor noted that “After some research, we have found an on-line course that is offered through Utah State University. The advantage of taking the course this way is that individuals can take it anytime rather than being limited to the 2-day on-site training offered by the district in the past.” The on-line course is accessed at https://mylearning.stedi.org/.
Once the course has been completed, guest teachers will be able to print out a certificate of completion. That certificate can then be used as verification of training, resulting in the guest-teacher pay increase of $5 per day.
Mr. Worthen noted that there is a fee associated with the on-line training. There are four options to choose from: $39.95 for the “basic” courses A or B; $59.95 for the “premium” course; and $79.95 for the “ultimate” course. Emery School District will accept any of these options.
Guest teachers in the Emery District who have successfully completed the training will be paid at a rate of $11.67 per hour while those without the training are paid $10.83 per hour. There are also pay increases to guest teachers who have accumulated 30 days of substitute time and for those who substitute for more than 10 consecutive days. The district also has salary schedules for guest custodians, guest lunch workers, guest classroom and resource aides, and substitute bus drivers.
For more information, contact Mr. Worthen at the district office.