School Committeewoman Rudith M. Berkowitz Decries Use of Unqualified Substitute Teachers-August 14, 1975

School committeewoman Rudith M. Berkowitz last night charged the school department with hiring substitute teachers to “babysit” classes in subjects where they lacked competence. Citing school statistics from the previous year, Mrs. Berkowitz stated that up to 50 percent of substitute teachers hired for the high school and junior high schools lacked proficiency in the specific subjects of absent teachers. “It’s a slipshod way of wasting money and wasting education,” she charged.

School officials acknowledged that difficulties existed in obtaining substitute teachers on short notice who possessed direct experience in specialized subject areas. However, Assistant Superintendent James R. Donovan emphasized that every effort was continuously made to secure substitutes proficient in the required disciplines. Mrs. Berkowitz presented detailed figures revealing that out of 470 teacher substitutions at the high school the prior year, 215 were filled by individuals lacking relevant subject-area experience. She contended that principals occasionally failed to call available specialists, resulting in classes being supervised by unqualified personnel.

At the conclusion of the heated discussion, the committee passed two distinct motions: the first directed the school administration to devise solutions to the substitute teacher shortage, while the second called for a formal proposal aimed at reducing overall teacher absenteeism. Committee members reviewed partial absentee data and voiced sharp criticism regarding frequent absences clustered around weekends and holidays. “The incidences of absences on Fridays and Mondays and days after holidays is very coincidental and very discouraging,” committeeman Richard W. Kief remarked. Committeeman Berkowitz added, “It’s peculiar how some teachers are only sick on Mondays.” Administration officials responded by noting that many absences stemmed from liberal time-off provisions included in recent teacher employment contracts.

In other business, the committee addressed an insurance claim submitted by the parents of a former Norwood high school student who sustained dental injuries during a 1973 basketball practice session. Despite initial assurances that school insurance would cover the dental damages exceeding $500, the parents reported being informed in June that the policy was inapplicable due to a pre-existing dental condition. The committee agreed to review the final billing statement before deciding whether the town would cover the expenses.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger