We are substitute teachers in the Ithaca City School District who work together to:

• Provide quality continuing education and security for students in the absence of their teachers.
• Enhance our professionalism and ability to support students and teacher
• Negotiate for a fair wage appropriate to our duties and professional preparation.
• Ensure fair grievance procedures for substitute teachers.

Formed in 2007 to address issues impacting our ability to do our job: 13 years of wage stagnation at $80 a day. Lack of basic workplace orientation for newly hired substitutes. No assurance of fair treatment or hearing when grievances occurred. Often not perceived or treated as the trained professionals. In unity we have been able to address and make progress with the ICSF (Ithaca City School Faculty) on many of these issues.

Who Are We? Retired teachers. Newly certified teachers. Persons with Bachelor’s, Masters and PhDs who draw from a wide variety of subject matter and from an arrayed range of teaching experiences. New and long-time substitute teachers. Service minded and community involved humans.

Did you know? Students in ICSD schools spend the equivalent of a full year of their academic life with substitute teachers!

What We Do: Engage with students in the classroom, making sure they are present, safe, and their needs are attended to. We carry out teachers’ lesson plans when available, improvising and adjusting as needed when plans are insufficient, no-existent, or unforeseen events occur in the school. Encourage and refocus students who are having a difficulty with their assignments. Maintain a positive learning atmosphere in the classroom. Organize and facilitate orientation classes for new ICSD substitutes. Work with the ICSD to increase Professional Development opportunities for substitute teachers.

The ISA needs your support Substitute teachers are the day laborers of the school system. We are paid far below what the District pays beginning teachers. We get no benefits and have no job security. Yet our work is critical to the functioning of schools. We have been negotiating with ICSD for months. We are seeking an increase in pay commensurate with inflation an the cost of living in Ithaca. We are also pressing for the right to arbitration and due process so that substitute teachers are not banned from working without a cause.

Sign-up so that we will have a way to contact you. Request to become a member here on our Home page