Teacher absenteeism isn’t common, but it can be very hard for school and district leaders to anticipate and respond to, and can disrupt the delicate operation of the school day.
“Without planning, you might have five different subs,” said Kadee Anstadt, the senior vice president of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, and a veteran district leader. “If somebody gets the flu, you don’t know how long they’re going to be out—but when we know, we try to be very intentional about putting the same person in with students so that they have some continuity.”
About a third of teachers miss more than 10 days each school year, according to newly released federal data. In many states and districts, a combination of sick, personal, and parental leave means they’re entitled to take that many days or more—although studies show teachers tend to take less time off than similar workers.
That means administrators need holistic approaches to dealing with teacher absences that include illness prevention, planning, and support for managing teachers’ mental health and family issues.
“When teachers are supported, when they find joy in their work, and when they know that they can plan days in their year to step away and take a rest break, they’re less likely to get to that burnout stage where they’re going to take multiple days off and really affect other places in the building,” said Joshua Fine, the principal of White Oak Middle School in Montgomery County, Md.
Fine and Anstadt shared their tips for getting ahead of teacher absenteeism. Use this downloadable guide to prompt discussions with your team or stress-check your own plans.
