UIC College Prep, located in Chicago’s Medical District, is one of 17 schools in the Noble network of charter schools. Since its inception in 2008, UIC College Prep has been recognized as one of the best high schools in the city, distinguished for its non-selective enrollment policy, which ensures that any student from any part of the city can attend and receive quality education. The school’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is central to its mission, making it a unique educational institution in Chicago.

The challenge

“Right before the pandemic, we saw an increase in the number of days teachers wanted to take off to take care of themselves,” Patty Arroyo, Assistant Principal of Operations at UIC College Prep, explained. “After the pandemic, that number increased significantly. Many teachers have felt their jobs are unsustainable, which has led to more absences.”

As a result, the school recruited to expand their in-house substitute team. Despite these efforts, the number of substitutes remained insufficient, requiring UIC College Prep to utilize their staff and instructional coaches to cover absences. This ultimately prompted UIC College Prep to explore other options and eventually find relief in Swing Education.

Partnering with Swing Education

In 2019, UIC College Prep partnered with Swing Education to expand its substitute pool. This partnership was aimed at providing a more reliable and strategic approach to substitute coverage.

Swing Education brought a transformative solution to UIC College Prep’s substitute teacher challenges. “Swing excels in quickly providing personnel to cover classes on short notice, and they have a highly proactive service team available to support us.” explained Arroyo. “This allows us to carefully request substitutes who align with our unique expectations and ensure they uphold our standards for student accountability.”

Outcomes and benefits

In the ‘23-24 school year, UIC College Prep has placed hundreds of requests, with a 94% fill rate leading to several key outcomes for UIC College Prep:

Positive impact on staff experience

“Our partnership with Swing has positively impacted the staff experience, not just for teachers but for the entire leadership team,” Arroyo noted. “It has provided us with the resources we need to continue our operations and focus on our main goals.”

Enhanced support for instructional coaches 

The partnership also freed up instructional coaches to focus on their primary role of supporting teacher development rather than covering classes, Arroyo explained. This strategic allocation of resources helped improve teacher satisfaction and development.

While 94% of UIC College Prep requests are single-day, Arroyo added that the school is  “enthusiastic about exploring Swing’s long-term coverage program, as we believe it has the potential to be truly transformative for our organization.”

The school aims to build a pool of long-term substitutes to ensure coverage stability and support their leadership team, and Swing will support every step of the way.

The partnership between UIC College Prep and Swing Education has been instrumental in addressing the school’s substitute teacher challenges. Arroyo added, “It has definitely helped us to ensure that our teachers and students are well supported.” 

By providing reliable coverage and freeing up instructional coaches, Swing has helped UIC College Prep maintain operational continuity and enhance teacher support and development. This collaboration exemplifies how strategic partnerships can significantly impact educational institutions’ ability to deliver quality education and support their staff.