Substitute Teacher Program
Why provide a training to prepare substitute teachers to work with children birth to five years of age?
• Every year 40% of child care workers leave their jobs. This turnover rate has
an incredibly detrimental effect on children during the critical, formative years
of Birth to Three.1
• Early learning facilities throughout Georgia report a need for substitute
teachers on an ongoing basis.2
• High quality learning environments and teachers with training in early childhood
education can reach children more effectively, provide age-appropriate
instruction, and lead to improved early reading skills and development.3
1 Source: Center for the Child Care Workforce (2001); National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development (November 2004)www.ncchildcare.org/institutebrochure.pdf;"Work and Family: High teacher turnover can affect preschoolers" by Sue Shellenbarger, The Wall Street Journal (August 31, 2006)
2 Source: National Center for the Early Childhood Work Force (from the SS website)
3 Quote from National Women's Law Center, July 2004. Source: The Trust for Early Education (2003) "Teacher Education: One Strong Step to Ensuring High Quality." Washington, DC: The Trust for Early Education, www.trustforearlyed.org/docs/report2.pdf
Teachers provide a vital key to quality early childhood care and education, and if we believe that children need to have consistent teachers who offer safe and nurturing relationships and age appropriate activities to support their developmental stages, then we can agree that a top priority should be to insure that well educated substitute teachers are available to early learning programs in Georgia. The Smart Start STP supports quality early care and learning centers and facilities that need trained substitute teachers. This program is available throughout most of Georgia.
The Smart Start STP is an innovative 5-day course specifically designed to recruit and instruct adults in how children, birth to five, develop and learn, and how to support their developmental needs in a child care program. Smart Start graduates understand the needs and environment of child care centers and will provide children with a caring and knowledgeable substitute teacher when their regular teachers are out. Candidates for the program will complete an online application and meet program requirements to be eligible to participate.
Who participates in the Smart Start STP?
Current and past early learning childcare teachers and childcare professionals, parents, grandparents, retired or non-working community members and students in technical schools, colleges and universities, are encouraged to participate in the substitute teacher training program. This program is for everyone who is interested in the holistic development of young children, whether early learning is your field or not.
Goals of program:
• Provide qualified early learning substitute teachers to licensed and
registered Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care & Learning
(BFTS) child care facilities.
• Provide an alternative pathway into the early learning educational
field.
Substitute Teacher trainees receive a sound foundation in early learning:
• Information on how children learn and how to support their learning.
• Brain development & child development theory.
• Developmentally and culturally appropriate practices & activities.
• CPR & first aid, health & safety, recognizing & reporting child abuse, infectious
diseases.
• The classroom and learning centers, "the daily routine," and so much more.
The Smart Start STP provides:
• Quality educational experience.
• Training content notebook and resource material.
• 18 state approved hours of credit.
• CPR and first aid training.
• Employment search tips and childcare resource information to develop a
personal plan for a job search.
• Free link between potential employers and employees.
Child care programs benefit by receiving:
• Available pool of knowledgeable and energetic substitute teachers.
• Substitute teachers with 18 state approved credit hours.
• Pool of potential future early learning teachers.
• Consistency of quality when a regular teacher is out.
Progress to Date - through the of end of May 2010:
• 8 years of continued support for early learning facilities in Georgia.
• Total Trainings Completed: 106
• Total Program Graduates: 2,356
• Introduction of Program in Spanish: 2007
Testimonials
Unlike any other service, the teachers come prepared to work, with all their documentation and lots of ideas. The Smart Start STP is not only the best substitute program available, it also provides the highest quality training for entry level teachers. As a NAEYC accredited program, quality and consistency is very important to us. Smart Start substitute teachers help us maintain our high standards for our children.
Vanessa M. Johnson, Director, Northside Drive Baptist Preschool
I have benefited so much from the Smart Start STP. It helped me to discover my natural abilities and it is very satisfying knowing that at the end of the day you have made a difference in a child's life. I would like to share this with everybody and encourage people to give it a try. I am glad that I had this training and I can walk into any classroom very confident.
Substitute Teacher Graduate, Atlanta
Upcoming Events:
Substitute Teacher Program (STP) Upcoming Classes:
McDONOUGH CLASS: March 26-30, 2012
Class Hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
City: McDonough
Counties: Butts, Clayton, Fayette, Henry & open to
all Metro Atlanta counties
Application DEADLINE: March 12, 2012
SUWANEE CLASS: April 16-20, 2012 (SPANISH ONLY)
Class Hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
City: Suwanee
Counties: Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, & (all Metro Atlanta)
Application DEADLINE: April 6, 2012
DOUGLASVILLE CLASS: April 23-27, 2012
Class Hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
City: Douglasville
Counties: Cobb, Cherokee, Douglas, Paulding &
nearby counties
Application DEADLINE: April 9, 2012
AUGUSTA CLASS: May 7-11, 2012
Class Hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
City: Augusta
Counties: Burke, Columbia, McDuffie, Richmond, &
nearby counties
Application DEADLINE: April 23, 2012
DECATUR CLASS: May 21-25, 2012
Class Hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
City: Decatur
Counties: DeKalb, Fulton, Rockdale
Application DEADLINE: May 11, 2012
MORROW CLASS: June 4-8, 2012
Class Hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
City: Morrow
Counties: Butts, Clayton, Fayette
Application DEADLINE: May 21, 2012
ATLANTA CLASS: June 11-15, 2012
Class Hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
City: Atlanta
Counties: Clayton, DeKalb, Fayette, Fulton
Application DEADLINE: May 28, 2012
Thank you so much for your interest in our Substitute Teacher Program!
For more information about the Early Education Substitute Teacher program, please visit our website @ http://www.ecegasubs.org