State of Missouri and staffing company join forces to prepare substitute teachers for classroom

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Missouri schools have been dealing with a chronic teacher shortage especially since the pandemic. And it's not only just full time teachers.

Districts struggle to find enough substitute teachers to fill in gaps when needed.

Now, the state has contracted with an educational staffing company Kelly Education to provide potential subs the course work they need to qualify for the classroom.

"We've partnered with the Missouri Department of Education to become an approved provider," said Dr. Stephanie Wall, who is Kelly Education's Director of Learning Services. "We provide training to all of our current substitute teachers that work for Kelly Education. But as far as reaching more broadly into the community and supporting aspiring substitutes to work in other districts, Missouri is gonna be the first."

Those with potential interest in working as a substitute teacher will have a few ways to apply for the curriculum, from applying directly on Kelly Education's website to partnering up with districts that might be interested in purchasing this curriculum to help accelerate their pool.

"If districts are interested in doing that, they can contact Kelly Education directly," said Wall. "And individuals can just jump right into the website and go ahead and, and complete their purchase and get started."

The curriculum the company provides for those who want to be a substitute teacher will help them with relevant materials in today's classrooms.

"Given that we've been in this space for 27+ years, we know what it takes to fill classrooms and we know that the classroom is changing a bit, right?" said Wall. "There's different challenges, different things that folks need to think through. So our curriculum really focuses on the, the foundations of substitute teaching."