I am a retired Brooks Middle School teacher (2016). I now substitute-teach in the Mesa Public Schools in Arizona. The regular pay for subs here is $170. There is no difference of pay between elementary, middle, or high school. I can tell you from a substitute teacher’s point of view based on actual experience, I am much more tired at the end of the day subbing for elementary schools than middle and high school. It is unfair to pay elementary-level subs less. Also, given the fact that the cost of living is much higher in the Chicago/Oak Park, area mainly due to the taxes being so high, substitute pay across the board should be no less than $200 daily. Finally, for long-term subs, why do they have to work 21 days before they are paid more when they take on all of the responsibilities of a regular classroom teacher from day one?
Chuck Watson
Mesa, Arizona