Chicago Public Schools Employee Reviews for Substitute Teacher

Good experience to see what it is like working in a school setting. Highly dependent on what school you work at in terms of work environment and how you will be set up for success

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4/5 stars

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - September 18, 2023

CPS has been a great experience working with, I personally have enjoyed majority of the schools I’ve worked at and still continue to come in to keep my license valid. Overall, as a substitute teacher you pick your days of working and location (if spots are available). It’s a great day job to have.

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Based on 671 survey responses

What people like

Ability to learn new things
Feeling of personal appreciation
Clear sense of purpose

Substitute Teacher

Substitute Teacher (Former Employee) - Chicago, IL - September 7, 2023

CPS is a great place to work. If you are looking for a institution to jump start your education career, I highly recommend. If you are looking for a institution to jump start your education career, I highly recommend CPS. You can have the opportunity to choose from a tier of substitute positions. Rolling out a new role entitled "Core Cadre", provides Core Cadre Substitutes become part of school communities with long term monthly assignments. You know the students, the schedule and the staff, bringing stability to your daily work. Core Cadre Substitutes are committed to working each day in their assigned location, providing critical support to schools and students.

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Working a CPS can be a rewarding experience of people at the top held higher level leadership responsible for their unprofessional behavior.

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - September 6, 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?Staff that truly love the students What is the most stressful part about working at the company?The internal cliques that reside in CPSWhat is the work environment and culture like at the company?Difficult, but can be rewarding at timesWhat is a typical day like for you at the company?My goal is to always make it a blessed day

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Work day varies

Substitute Teacher (Former Employee) - Chicago, IL - August 17, 2023

Interesting working with different schools on a regular basis. Work was steady. Your day depends on which part of the city you are sent to. All in all, a decent job.

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You meet a lot of different people, and have the opportunity to learn through professional developments.

Long Term Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - August 13, 2023

I really enjoy working at Chicago Public Schools. The pay is above average for a substitute teacher. We get up to a $1,000 a month bonus for working twenty one days in a month.

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Flexible schedule

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - July 29, 2023

Most schools are happy to have a substitute, but you don’t always get a lot of support throughout the day at some schools. It is nice to choose which school/position you would like to sub for each day.

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Mixed Bag

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - July 20, 2023

The job provides maximum flexibility but expect the unexpected. Sometimes the assignment changes at the last minute, sometimes the students are squirrely and sometimes you're sitting there twiddling your thumbs.More times than not I left with a smile.

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Subbing Can Be Great

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - July 13, 2023

Flexible work schedule (if needed), pretty decent pay, good bonuses for more days worked. You get the ability to work in various different schools, age groups, subjects. If you get close with a school you like and the clerk likes you, they'll often ask what your schedule looks like and if you want some more consistent days as they pop up.Scheduling can be a pain. There will always be a job for you, but sometimes you find yourself driving to 3-4 different schools a week with different schedules, so you have to be adaptable and realize you likely won't have a "set routine".Most, if not all, office clerks I encountered were nice, all schools are happy to have subs. Some teachers/schools are better about leaving work and daily plans, you'll get to know which schools are super on top of it, and which ones are just kinda meh. Some days can be tough, that's life as a sub. Some days you'll leave feeling super accomplished and proud, other days you'll be glad you collected some money and got out of there with no major incidents, it's all part of it. Biggest downside, is even if you sub every single day, there is no benefits. You can receive benefits if you become a "cadre sub". Your pay goes up and you get benefits, but then you lose your ability to take days off whenever you want and you lose ability to make bonus money.The biggest pain of the whole process was obtaining the sub license and everything that comes with it. It's to be expected for working in a position with kids and all the responsibilities that come with it. But the process as a whole for me took probably around -

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As a substitute teacher your role varies depending on the school.

Cadre Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - June 5, 2023

A substitute teacher experience depends on the school’s you worked at. The schools represent the neighborhood. Although, there are good schools in high crime areas.I have had poor experiences in schools, and I have had awesome experiences in one high school where I have been a substitute for 8 years. If the salary was better I would stay.

Pros

Substitute are treated respectfully. You follow the teacher’s schedule. No non instructional duties.

Cons

No paid time off, limited insurance available only hmo.

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Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - May 24, 2023

For someone just graduating college, or looking to fill time between jobs within your profession, I think subbing in CPS is a great idea. The pay is pretty good, and you select your assignments and the days you work. The biggest task for you to do is finding schools you enjoy subbing at. Once you do that, the job becomes great!

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Challenging Job

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - March 30, 2023

There are good days and bad days. Sometimes students and staff are lovely, some days they are not. I do love working with the kids, but sometimes (quite often) there is no lesson plan to work with and I am not trained as a teacher. I do the best I can.

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Interesting Experience

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - February 2, 2023

I love teaching at CPS. The kids are fun to work with but many are very disrespectful. Administration needs to start kicking those students out. There are many kids who want to learn but their peers are disruptive. Sometimes you get there and they give you a different assignment and you have to stand up for yourself when they try not to give you a planning period and lunch break, as a normal teacher. Otherwise I teach at the same schools in which I am familiar with.

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3 stars

Substitute Teacher (Former Employee) - Chicago, IL - January 24, 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?I liked that usually work was ready available.What is the most stressful part about working at the company?The stressful part was students that did not like Substitute Teachers.What is the work environment and culture like at the company?The work was great but the culture majority of the times was challenging.What is a typical day like for you at the company?At some schools it was average.

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Challenging workplace

Cadre Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - January 23, 2023

Very challenging experience!! Students very disrespectful and violent fights all the time in classrooms with no regards to adult’s presence!!! Administrators trying hard to develop a more positive culture.

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Steady Income Enjoyed working with students and staff

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - November 19, 2022

I enjoy being a Sub Teacher at CPS. You can set your own schedule. Teaching students is rewarding. An excellent part time job.The pay is pretty good. I taught at a school close to my home. Perfect !

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Awesome Experiences

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - October 25, 2022

Always love working with kids at different locations! Makes it worthwhile ! Would recommend anyone to substitute in order to find the perfect fit or for those who need flexibility.

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3 stars

Substitute Teacher (Former Employee) - 834 E 50th Street - October 13, 2022

What is the best part of working at the company?Working with the students What is the most stressful part about working at the company?Presentation of new applications of various subjectsWhat is the work environment and culture like at the company?Hectic. Each classroom/school’s present each individual challenges.What is a typical day like for you at the company?There are different things going on. There was no day alike.

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Only ok

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - August 14, 2022

Teachers do not leave lesson plans. Minimal support and many discipline issues. Definitely unsafe at some schools. Pay is only ok considering the poor support.

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Teachers are treated like dirt.

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - Chicago, IL - August 13, 2022

You are expected to cover recess in the freezing cold. The teachers treat substitutes like dirt as does administrative staff. You sign up for an assignment, but expected to do whatever is asked/commanded.

Pros

None

Cons

No healthcare, often run around the school doing what you’re told.

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It Depends on Your Assignment!

Substitute Teacher (Current Employee) - City Wide - July 13, 2022

I work as a provisional substitute teacher. The pay is low; however, it is high if you work at an incentive school instead of a regular school. I usually accept assignments at incentive schools because I get my regular pay, plus incentive pay each time I work at an incentive school. Also, if you work a certain number of days in the month you earn more money on top of your regular pay and incentive pay. For instance, during 2021-2022, a provisional substitute teacher could earn regular pay, incentive pay if you work at an incentive school, and you can earn more incentive pay if you work 12 days, or if you work 15 days( Seven Mondays and Fridays) even more incentive pay. Overall management is helpful; however, sometimes I bad information from them when I ask questions. I recommend being a substitute because you have the freedom to teach where ever you want and when you want. If you do not like how some schools are you do not have to return--just block them and go to another school. I arrive at a school, find out the rules, teach the students who are under my authority and I sign out and move on to the next school. If I like a school I teach at I go back if not I move on.