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Signs like this engulf the doors of BSM like never before. The statewide sub shortage is promoting students and teachers to get creative in order to stay on course with curriculum. Luckily, if high school students are unable to have a sub, they are trusted to be mature enough to look after themselves. However, with younger students and a need for supervision at all times, the sub shortage presents a slippery slope in other schools throughout the state, making learning more difficult.

The art of the sub shortage may be due to the pandemic. In Minnesota, some schools are raising pay in hopes of getting teachers to stick around and are also encouraging parents to get a license to fill in. In fact, the Minnesota’s teacher licensing board suggested that all staff members, including janitors and nurses, be granted a bachelor’s degree in order to increase the teacher to student ratio. According to BSM substitute coordinator, Ms. Hugdahl, our school is creating ways to hold onto our subs. “We are combating this [sub shortage] by raising our pay for subs, paying teachers for subbing, and hiring building subs who are at BSM every day,” Hugdahl said.

Desperate measures are being taken in the education department in hopes of keeping teachers and subs around. Ms. Hugdahl, who started at BSM this year, has a lot of daily problem solving to do. “I have not seen a shortage like this before. When I lived in Missouri, there were not a lot of subs, but you could still always find one if you needed to be gone from school. Now, you can’t always find that,” Hugdahl said.

In the midst of efforts being taken by schools around the state, the BSM community is learning how to make it work and adapt to this new challenge. “Throughout the school day, I run the testing center, quiet study, and help my subs if anything goes wrong. With the sub shortage, teachers have been stepping in and helping cover classes for other teachers. It’s great teamwork. I figure out when teachers are free and which classes they can cover for other teachers. It’s a lot of problem solving,” Hugdahl said.

Fortunately, BSM has useful study areas that hold an abundance of students such as the library, atrium, and the newly added cube. Senior Elizabeth Dietzen and other students’ self accountability and time management skills are being put to test this year. Dietzen would rather be sent to a common area than monitored by someone who doesn’t specialize in the specific subject she is learning at that time. “I think there are more distractions when I’m in a common area, but I would rather get my work done in class rather than at home so I manage,” Dietzen said.

This unforeseen challenge is only bringing our community closer together by discovering creative ways to keep students engaged while respecting the choices of teachers and substitute teachers. The ongoing hope is for the sub shortage to die down by the end of the year. “I’m hopeful that next year will bring more subs,” Hugdahl said.