One Substitute Left Behind

Its that time of year again. Time to sharpen the number 2 pencils and pass out the scan-tron sheets. Time for the administration to to turn off the bells and beg students for an honest effort. Time for the brass at the District office downtown to cross their fat clamy fingers. They're nervously sweating in Jefferson City too. Probably even Washington DC.

Everyone hates State testing. Even substitutes.

The three weeks of Missouri Assessment Program testing in early April is the only time all school year when a substitute in St. Louis Public Schools may not have the opportunity to work every day. I don't know if the administration bribes the teachers with the same basketball games, movies and pizza parties they offer the students who do their best on the tests, but for some reason during state testing the demand for substitutes drops like a non-titanium anvil.

Don't get me wrong, days off are the reason I love being a sub. But its one thing to stay out to late and decide at 2:00am to take tomorrow off, Its another thing to go to bed at 9:30 expecting a 5 am phone call and then find yourself wide awake on a rainy Tuesday morning without nothing to do and no prospects.

Maybe I should just save myself the stress and extend spring break by another three weeks. Thats the kind of thing you can do when you're a substitute.