Pearland ISD reaches out to PTA parents for substitute teaching work, a move called ‘original’ and ‘beneficial’!

Pearland, Texas (KTRK) – Heather Anderson has five children at Pearland ISD, and she noticed something unusual this past school year.

“I know of situations where they couldn’t find submarines and had to spread the kids from this class into multiple classes, so they could get the education they deserve for the day,” Anderson said.

Pearland ISD isn’t the only area in Texas that has problems when it comes to finding replacement teachers, according to Ziv Capo, president of the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.

Capo said the replacement pond dwindled across the board during the peak of COVID-19.

“This has been particularly difficult during the pandemic, especially in school districts like HISD and others,” Capo explained. “A large number of the surrogates that we rely on are actually retired school district teachers who were rightfully concerned (and) were not ready to attend schools and classes.”

While things are not at pre-pandemic levels, Capo said the shortage of alternatives is stabilizing.

HISD said the number of requests they receive for substitutes each week has risen significantly from previous years, and Fort Bend, Cy Fair and Pearland ISD said they have no shortage of substitutes.

In an effort to keep things that way, Pearland turned to PTA volunteers as potential replacements for the first time in the region’s history.

“I thought it was cool,” Anderson said of her initial reaction to the concept.

Anderson is president of Sam Jamison Middle School’s PTA, which sent a letter to its members telling them about Pearland ISD’s plan.

PTA members across the region had to apply by the end of September, and those selected had Friday directive.

In a statement to ABC13, Pearland ISD said in part:

Pearland Independent School District is always looking for creative ways to hire replacement teachers. These are individuals who are interested in making a positive impact on students’ lives and helping them achieve their highest potential.

The district recently identified PTA volunteers as strong candidates to join the surrogate team, due to their passion for education and connection to the campus where they volunteer.

What do experts think of the Pearland ISD plan? At 10 p.m., Eyewitness News takes a closer look at the plan. You’ll hear what experts think are the pros and cons of the program.

For news updates, follow Chaz Miller FacebookAnd the Twitter And the Instagram.

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