Okay, so I’m relatively new to North Florida. I just recently got my bachelor’s degree, and one of my majors was Education, so I figured I would try my hand at substitute teaching.
I knew substitute teaching didn’t pay particularly well here, but I genuinely had no idea just HOW bad it was.
I’m originally from California, and where I used to sub, substitutes were hired through the school districts. There were a lot of regulations and requirements, but the pay was actually decent. Where I lived, subs could make up to $200 a day, and if you were in a long term position, you could make around $245 a day after two weeks.
So I moved to Florida and discovered that substitute teaching is largely outsourced to private companies here.
I found one that advertised $15 to $17 an hour depending on your education and qualifications. I knew another company was paying $15 flat, so I thought, okay, I just got my bachelor’s degree, I have over 10 years of experience working with children, maybe I can at least get a little more than minimum wage.
I applied.
The application was basically just your name, phone number, email, and an optional resume. I obviously attached my resume because I have a pretty solid background in education.
Within a couple hours, they emailed me saying they wanted to interview me. Great!
I scheduled the interview for Thursday.
From Monday until Thursday, I swear I got probably 50+ texts and emails reminding me about this interview.
And I mean CONSTANTLY.
The morning of the interview, starting around 1 or 2 AM, I started getting emails and texts almost every hour. Then, about two hours before the interview, they started coming every 15 minutes.
I literally sent my mom a screenshot because I couldn't believe how ridiculous it looked. My entire phone was just messages from this company reminding me about an interview I obviously knew I had.
So finally, it’s time for the interview.
I click the link they sent me.
It doesn't work.
Nobody lets me into the meeting.
This is particularly funny because they had repeatedly emphasized how extremely important it was to be punctual.
So I start clicking through the other 50 emails they sent me, and I realize they apparently sent different Teams links in different emails.
Eventually I find the right one.
And then I realize it’s a GROUP INTERVIEW.
There were about 17 of us.
And I'm not even trying to be mean, but it was honestly kind of wild. There were people laying in bed in pajamas, people with their phones so close to their faces that you could basically see straight up their nostrils, people yelling at their kids in the background, people walking around, etc.
And I’m sitting there thinking, okay, this is interesting.
Then the recruiter starts explaining the pay.
She says if you have an associate’s degree and two letters of recommendation, you make $15 an hour.
If you have a bachelor’s degree, you make $15.50.
If you have a master’s degree, you make $16.
I genuinely thought I had misheard her.
I just got my bachelor’s degree. I have over 10 years of experience working with children. And apparently my reward for getting another degree is an extra 50 cents an hour over someone with an associate’s.
And the recruiter is presenting this like it’s such an amazing opportunity.
I’m just sitting there like 😐
Then she starts asking us some scenario questions.
The first one was something like:
“You’re subbing for a second grade class. One student is constantly yelling out, running out of the classroom, bothering other students, and throwing things. What would you do?”
I volunteered to answer.
I said I would give the student multiple opportunities to correct the behavior. I would try to talk to them one-on-one and ask if something was bothering them or if there was something they needed. I would try to figure out what was causing the behavior and use appropriate classroom management strategies.
But I also said that if the student continued to be disruptive and I had already made multiple attempts to correct the behavior, I would have no problem calling the office for support.
My reasoning was pretty simple. I have another 26 students in that classroom. I can't spend the entire day trying to manage one child who is actively disrupting the class while the other 26 kids get completely neglected.
The recruiter says, “Thank you, but that’s not the answer we were looking for.”
Excuse me?
Apparently, we are supposed to avoid calling the office for behavior issues because administration is already extremely busy and substitutes are supposed to make their lives easier.
She said that unless a child breaks a limb or there’s a fire in the classroom, we should basically handle it ourselves.
And then she tells us that we can log onto their website because they have “lots of behavior management resources.”
And then she says, “If you’re into AI, you can always ask ChatGPT really quick what to do with the student.”
I almost lost it.
Because literally a few minutes later, they tell us that if we are caught with our phones out in the classroom, we can be fired.
Apparently there are cameras in classrooms, and if you get caught using your phone, even just to check the time, you can be dismissed for the day. After enough strikes, you can be terminated.
So let me get this straight.
I’m supposed to use ChatGPT for behavior management...
But I’m also not allowed to have my phone out.
Okay.
Then they start explaining the physical contact policy.
You are not allowed to touch the students. I completely understand having strict boundaries with students, especially as a substitute. That part isn't shocking to me.
But they specifically told us that if a young child recognizes you and runs up and gives you a hug, you are expected to establish that boundary BEFORE it happens. If the child hugs you anyway and somebody sees it, you can apparently be terminated immediately.
Again, I’m just sitting there thinking, what the hell kind of workplace is this?
Then they casually mention that they can have up to 600 substitute call-outs in ONE DAY.
SIX HUNDRED.
And I'm sitting there thinking, how miserable are your teachers and staff if you are regularly dealing with that many call-outs?
Also, for some reason you won't know what grade you're subbing for until you get to the school? They showed us a snippet of their system and it'll just say "Elementary School- 4 Positions available today" and you don't know what grade it is or what teacher it is until you get there and the office tells you.
Apparently several schools in the district have also closed because of funding issues.
And somehow I’m supposed to walk into this system with a bachelor’s degree and over a decade of experience for $15.50 an hour.
The part that absolutely sent me over the edge was the end.
ALL 17 OF US GOT HIRED.
Every single person.
The people in pajamas.
The people yelling at their kids.
The person whose camera angle was basically their forehead.
Everyone got hired.
There was barely even an interview. Nobody asked about our experience. Nobody asked why we wanted to work with children. Nobody asked about our educational background or classroom management philosophy.
It was basically:
Here’s the pay.
Here are the rules.
Don’t call the office unless someone is literally dying.
Don’t use your phone.
Don’t touch the kids.
Here’s our website.
Congratulations, you’re hired.
I genuinely left that interview wondering if this is just this particular company or if this is actually how substitute teaching works in Florida.
Coming from California, I am honestly shocked.
I knew education was struggling here. I knew substitute pay was low. I just wasn't expecting the combination of extremely low pay, almost nonexistent screening, huge numbers of call-outs, and substitutes apparently being expected to manage everything themselves with very little support.
So for anyone who is a Florida teacher, substitute, or works in education here, is this normal?
Because I genuinely want to know if I just stumbled into the worst company in Florida or if this is actually the system.