Managing teacher absences can be a challenge, especially when you’re faced with last-minute gaps in coverage. Fortunately, Swing Education offers a solution that helps schools navigate these unpredictable situations: the floating sub request. In this blog, we’ll explore what floating sub requests are, how to use them effectively, and how they can help boost your fill rates.

What is a floating sub request?

A floating sub request, also known as a roving sub request, is designed for situations where a school anticipates a teacher’s absence but isn’t yet sure of the specific details. For example, schools often experience higher absenteeism before long weekends or during busy periods. Instead of scrambling for coverage at the last minute, a floating sub request allows schools to prepare in advance.

How to use floating requests

Issuing a floating sub request involves a few key steps:

1. Select the location: You can choose to make the request for a specific school site or the District Office. If you opt for the District Office, administrators have the flexibility to update the request with the exact school site once the absence is confirmed.
2. Communicate with substitutes: On the day of the request, contact the substitute to inform them of the specific school site and their role. You can find the substitute’s contact information in their profile, accessible by clicking on their name in the request. Reach out via phone, text, or email to provide any necessary details.
3. Update the request: Edit the request to include specifics such as the teacher’s name, grade level, and subject. If you need assistance with these updates, Swing Support is available at support@swingeducation.com.

Why floating sub requests are valuable

Floating sub requests are a game-changer for schools dealing with last-minute absences:

• Higher fill rates: Schools face a national average fill rate of just 48% for last-minute requests. Floating sub requests improve this by almost doubling the fill rate, giving you a better chance of securing coverage.
• Advance planning: Substitutes appreciate having their assignments in advance, allowing them to plan their week more effectively. This can lead to higher acceptance rates and better coverage.
• Flexibility: Floating sub requests allow for flexibility in placement. While substitutes must be prepared for day-of details, the advance notice helps ensure that the right person is in the right classroom.
• Effective coverage: By issuing floating sub requests early and updating them with specific details closer to the time, schools can ensure they find the best fit for their classrooms and improve overall coverage.

How Swing helps

Several of Swing’s school partners have reduced the pain of last-minute sub needs thanks to floating sub requests. For example, a mid-sized district in Southern California has a lot of last-minute absences because they were being cautious about over-requesting subs. Once they started issuing floating sub requests based on their historical absence data, their fill rate increased and they began issuing ~80 requests a week through Swing. 

Another mid-sized school district in Texas uses floating sub requests conservatively to avoid cancellations. They started with 4 floating sub requests per week, scaled up to 8 per week, and never had to cancel a request.

At Swing, we know the value of floating subs and support these types of requests on our platform. You can even issue requests for multiple floating subs at once. Find out how to issue a floating sub request for your school or district here.