Substitute teacher Pamela Etcheson pleaded her case for higher pay to the Unit 5 School Board.(Photo by Howard Packowitz/WJBC)

By Howard Packowitz

NORMAL – A Unit 5 substitute teacher believes she and the district’s other subs deserve a pay raise that they have not received in almost two decades.

In taking her case to the school board, Pamela Etcheson reminded board members of the challenges substitutes face in the classroom.

Etcheson has been a substitute for six years, teaching all grades. At the elementary level, she has to be ready to change subjects every half hour so the kids don’t lose focus.

“We’re in front of the class the entire day, presenting a delivery, monitoring students, almost entertaining to keep their focus on us for the entire day, especially since we’re new to them and not the regular teacher,” Etcheson said.

In the high schools, Etcheson said students’ lap tops and cell phones pose another challenge.

“It’s constant monitoring to keep a portion of them on the task because they will go to advertisements, they will go to Facebook, they will go to play games if you’re not watching them constantly,” Etcheson added.

Unit 5 subs have made $80 dollars a day since the 2000-2001 school year. Etcheson asked the board to consider raising the daily pay to $110. She said subs should also get paid every two weeks just like regular teachers instead of the 17th day of the following month.

“I realize we’re not full-time employees, but I do work all nine months, and so do the teachers. You have to have a four-year college bachelor’s degree to be a substitute teacher, same as the (regular) teachers.”

Board President Barry Hitchins thanked Etcheson for her service and said the board will discuss the matter at its September 12 meeting.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]