BY BRITNEE NAVE

STAR Correspondent

The closing of Carter County Schools for the remainder of the week due to illness is shedding light on a need for more substitute teachers.

The school board’s announcement on Feb. 4 they would be closing is due to illness among students, faculty and staff. The announcement also stated that due to high numbers of teacher absentees, finding a substitute to cover classes became more difficult.

“It’s something we’ve been monitoring regularly for several weeks now, where schools will let us know when teachers would have to be out due to illness,” Peggy Campbell, assistant director of Carter County Schools, said. “I say illness specifically because sometimes teachers leave due to training or something. We have also had an issue with the substitute teachers we got also getting sick, or being home with their kids who were.”

On Monday, the number of absentees did not let up, and the decision for closing was officially decided Tuesday. Campbell said the hope is to give everyone five days to rest over the long weekend and give custodial staff time to cleanse the schools in hopes of getting things back to normal.

While illness did lessen the number of available substitutes, Campbell noted that there has been an ongoing shortage of substitutes for some time, not just in our area, in general.

The requirements to become a substitute include having a high school diploma or a GED, passing a background check, which costs $35.15, being a minimum of 18 years of age to work in elementary or middle schools and 21 to work in a high school. After meeting the requirements, people attend a training class, which are available monthly, have on job training and are then able to become certified.

For those wishing to become a substitute, you can begin the process of doing so by calling the Carter County Board of Education at 423-547-4000, or by contacting Campbell directly at peggycampbell@carterk12.net.

In regards to avoiding the spread of illness, Campbell has some advice.

“Stay home,” she said. “Even if you are well, parents, stay home if your children are sick, and keep them from spreading it to other people.”