School administrators have enough on their plates.

From meeting with parents and community partners, to supporting teaching staff — all while monitoring their schools’ performance against learning goals — every minute counts.

Add to that an increasing national teacher shortage — finding (and maintaining!) a healthy sub pool has become an especially acute challenge.

That’s why now more than ever, school districts are opting into substitute teacher staffing agencies because they can provide the expertise, reliability, and support that schools crave. 

If you’re looking to start your partnership with an agency, we’ve done the research on:

• How substitute teacher agencies can help find classroom-ready, reliable substitutes for your school
• How a substitute teacher agency partners with your school district
• The qualities to look for to find the best staffing agency for your school district

Let’s get started.

Golden ticket to happy classrooms

Maintaining a healthy sub pool is more than just hiring one qualified sub; knowing how to retain and keep your best subs engaged is a crucial component that can be a full-time job in itself. 

Substitute teacher agencies take on all of these tasks (and more!) for your school district. Using their in-house tools, experience, and resources, sub agencies handle each element of finding, screening, onboarding, and engaging with your subs on your district’s behalf.

In return, school administrators can:

• Experience less stress and worry about the potential for continued teacher absences 
• Focus more time and energy on their primary educational goals
• Bypass the administrative headache surrounding recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding subs
• Have the peace of mind that comes with knowing their sub agency is constantly on the hunt for classroom-ready subs

A new way to fill substitute vacancies

You likely know the old recruiting trifecta all too well: job postings, career fairs, and newspaper ads. 

You likely also know that these tried and true methods aren’t working as well as they used to, and your schools are left using other teachers and administrators to fill in when vacancies arise.

That’s because today’s qualified, potential subs are looking for different opportunities in different places. 

Industry-leading substitute teacher staffing agencies like Swing not only understand this shifting dynamic, they have the marketing tools and best practices (plus a nice dose of knowledge about what makes for a successful sub) to attract a new audience of potential subs.

A modern solution for modern times

The way we use our digital devices for our personal and professional needs has dramatically changed over the past decade. Though big brands have adjusted to these new patterns with fresh advertising and marketing approaches, not all sub staffing agencies have caught up.

At Swing, however, we have a team of digital marketing experts on their team that know how to use marketing best practices, cutting-edge advertising channels, and an intuitive substitute teacher onboarding platform to connect with and attract a new audience of substitute teachers. 

Here’s a quick look at the marketing magic behind our approach:

We start our process by working closely with your school district to understand its needs, preferences, and requirements. Swing’s marketing experts then turn that information into campaigns that reach new pools of engaged and motivated substitute teacher candidates. 

For example, Swing has the marketing savvy to reach:

• Career changers
• Experienced educators looking for more autonomy and flexibility
• Aspiring teachers
• Qualified professionals looking to give back and share their experiences

The common thread between each audience is a picture painted by data Swing has refined on the qualities of a successful sub. The data and marketing tools allow Swing to reach potential subs with content that resonates with them, encouraging them to join your substitute teacher pool.

Thanks to data and marketing tools, Swing is able to attract qualified subs to your school, onboard them in as little as two weeks, and expand your substitute teacher pool, resulting in an all-star pool of classroom-ready substitute teachers that are available when and where you need them.

How to pick a substitute teacher agency

Marketing savvy, digital acumen, streamlined onboarding processes, and engaging sub-focused content are all strong qualities to look for in a substitute teacher agency, but there are other factors that should be on your district’s must-have list: 

• A focus on not only maintaining a healthy pool of subs, but also providing ongoing training and investment in those subs
• Tools that make it easy for subs to find the best assignment matches for their schedules and interests, which increases retention and impact in the classroom
• Processes to collect and share constructive feedback between subs and schools
• A dedicated support team always at the ready to help with questions and issues

How to get the most out of your substitute teacher agency experience

Instead of hitting the phones and sending out a collective blast to all the subs in your pool when classroom vacancies arise, a substitute teacher agency turns toward its established process to more precisely align a sub with an assignment.

Though specific steps may vary based on the agency, this process generally includes:

1. Submitting a request for a teacher

Submit your request to the substitute teacher agency, with as many specifics about the role as possible. These elements can include duration, location, and desired sub background as well as the number of subs needed.

2. Sitting back as the agency instantly reaches a large sub pool

Top sub agencies already know what their subs’ preferences are, so each school request can be immediately routed to the right educator to create the best match. When confirmed, schools are notified of the matches and pending teacher assignments.

3. Connecting with your sub

When the sub assignment is confirmed, the sub and school can then learn more about each other, allowing the school to review a sub’s experience and background in their profile.

4. Getting the sub ready to teach

If available, schools can then choose to share additional materials with their subs in advance, allowing them to be more prepared to hit the ground running. This information can include any prepared materials, such as classroom plans and other school expectations.

Why Swing Education

The Swing Education difference comes down to its team’s ability to know what subs want and school districts need to deliver quality classroom experiences for all involved.

Swing then takes this knowledge and combines it with an intuitive platform that makes each phase of the onboarding and assignment process easy and straightforward, rewarding subs with great experiences and districts with happy, reliable teachers and engaged students.

So if your school district is looking for its first substitute teacher agency or if your district is looking for a better agency match, then look no further than Swing.

Click here to set up your personalized demo of Swing!