Columbus City Schools Board and the union that represents teachers and other school personnel have agreed to jointly file a petition to provide representation to building substitute teachers.
Earlier this month a supermajority of building-based subs filed authorization cards with the Ohio State Employment Relations Board, requesting to join the Columbus Education Association.
School board president Jennifer Adair said she supports the move, and CEA president John Coniglio says the swift move to get approval "should serve as a model for all employers in the city".
Pandemic school reopening highlighted just how desperate the district substitute situation had become, falling far short of the number needed. While the district is still short on subs, the number has increased about 20 percent since 2021, and the number of building-based substitutes has nearly doubled.
A nationwide shortage persists across the country, fueling interest in union representation. Earlier this month the National Labor Relations Board cleared the way for teachers and other staff at KIPP Columbus, a public charter school, to vote on forming a union. Last year three out of four faculty there signed authorization cards in favor of a union.
