Salaried Sub Pros & Cons - Substitute Teacher TeachStart Employee Review

2.0
Mar 30, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

These feel like the bare minimum, but: - Paid holidays and a week off for Spring Break - Benefits - Biweekly Pay - Paid training

Cons

- Unsalaried substitutes get paid more which is frustrating. Before-tax, you earn $211 a day, other substitutes earn between $250-350 (from experience meeting other subs) - You can only use sick days if you've been employed for 90 DAYS. If you get sick before that time, you need to use PTO (if you have it) or not get paid. Absolutely insane and ridiculous, especially working in schools. - You can only earn up to three PTO days (24 hours) - The material taught in training rarely works at the schools you get placed in: schools and their students can have challenges/difficulties that can't be solved with what we're trained on. - Have to commute up to an hour and if an assignment is up to 59 minutes away you need to accept it or not get paid. You could also have over an hour commute home. The commute should be capped at 30 minutes, especially with gas prices + traffic. - Some people are still doing day-to-day subbing after a month, even though the goal is for long-term placements - Some substitutes have to work a full 8 hours while others don't. You have to get lucky with your assignment/school if you want a work-life balance. - You'll agree to an assignment, then get to the school and they put you in a different class/subject. - Arriving within the time frame provided by Scoot to find out that you have over 30 min to an hour to kill before school begins. Arrival times need to be updated for some schools. MOST IMPORTANT: the system to get an assignment is frustrating. If you don't get one the day before, you need to be awake by 6am to press "ready to work" in the Scoot app and wait for a phone call between that time and 6:30am. If you don't get an assignment, you could STILL get called after 6:30am, up until 7:30am. I fully believe that substitutes don't need to call in, we should be contacted. Schools don't usually open until 8-9am, why do we need to be up, awake, and "dressed" by 6am? Sleep, who?

Explore other reviews about TeachStart

5.0
Jun 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Paid classroom experience You gain real teaching experience while working toward certification. Looks strong on a teaching resume, especially if you're trying to become a full-time teacher. ✅ Fast path into education Good option if you have a bachelor's degree but didn't major in education. Can help you transition into teaching without going back for another degree. ✅ Support and coaching Typically provides instructional coaching, observations, and professional development. Helpful if you're new to classroom management and lesson planning. ✅ Networking opportunities You build relationships with principals, administrators, and teachers in the district. Many fellows are hired into full-time teaching positions after completing the program. ✅ Resume builder Being a Teacher of Record and handling your own classroom demonstrates leadership, communication, and instructional skills.

Cons

❌ Steep learning curve You're often learning how to teach while actually teaching. Classroom management can be challenging, especially in high-needs schools. ❌ Heavy workload Lesson planning, grading, parent communication, and certification coursework can be demanding. Many fellows work beyond normal school hours. ❌ Lower pay than certified teachers initially Depending on placement and program structure, compensation may be lower than what a fully certified teacher earns. ❌ Pressure and accountability Student performance, observations, and certification requirements can create stress. Some fellows find balancing everything difficult during the first year. ❌ School placement matters Your experience can vary significantly depending on the campus, administration, and student population.

4.0
May 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- great for those who want to become a teacher - consultants are wonderful and assist you with finding a placement close to you and also getting you admitted to your credentialing school and program - learned a lot in monthly pd days

Cons

- can't say no to any placement they give you - don't pay for half days. have to take all or nothing - some other fellows just don't want to be there or even become a teacher so making friends is hard - also super competitive if another fellow is in your area. competing for positions in the same district

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