MONROE - Substitute teachers in the Monroe school district will start to receive automated phone calls and text alerts about upcoming jobs in January.
The Monroe school board unanimously approved Monday the purchase of the Frontline Absence Management System for about $13,400 for the first year based on the recommendation of the finance committee. The system is an automated, web-based staffing program that uses automated phone calls, a website and text messages to schedule substitute teachers.
Monroe District Administrator Rick Waski used a similar automated system for three years while working as the district administrator in Adams-Friendship.
"It approved our rate of filling sub jobs," Waski said. "We went from 75 percent of our jobs to 90 percent of our jobs being filled."
The resignation of district receptionist Deanna Beckwith in early October allowed the district to take another look at some of their policies and workload for clerical tasks. Waski said the district learned Beckwith was spending from 30 minutes up to half a day calling to schedule substitute teachers. There were times when she would leave early because of the large task, leaving a void at the district office.
"We want to focus on customer service," Waski said of the receptionist. "We also have a list of eight or nine other duties for that person. When that person is on the phone calling for substitutes, the customer service dwindles."
The automated system will cost roughly $9,800 annually, but the first year includes a one-time $3,600 activation fee.
Administrators plan to hire a replacement for Beckwith, but they hope to take some of the sub-calling burden off the position.
"I think we will be compromised in the employee we get if we include sub calling," Waski said of the job duties. "I don't see an opportunity to cut staffing with this position."
Teachers across the district can still have their favorite top five lists for subs set up to the automated system. Substitutes will be able to look online to see available jobs in the district daily and can also accept jobs online.
There are 425 school districts that use the Frontline Absence Management system, 125 of which are in Wisconsin, including New Glarus, Verona, Beloit, Oregon and McFarland.
It will take six to eight weeks for Frontline Absence Management to implement the new system.
Waski said the goal is to have the district start using the automated sub-calling system after winter break, around the first week of January.
The Monroe school board unanimously approved Monday the purchase of the Frontline Absence Management System for about $13,400 for the first year based on the recommendation of the finance committee. The system is an automated, web-based staffing program that uses automated phone calls, a website and text messages to schedule substitute teachers.
Monroe District Administrator Rick Waski used a similar automated system for three years while working as the district administrator in Adams-Friendship.
"It approved our rate of filling sub jobs," Waski said. "We went from 75 percent of our jobs to 90 percent of our jobs being filled."
The resignation of district receptionist Deanna Beckwith in early October allowed the district to take another look at some of their policies and workload for clerical tasks. Waski said the district learned Beckwith was spending from 30 minutes up to half a day calling to schedule substitute teachers. There were times when she would leave early because of the large task, leaving a void at the district office.
"We want to focus on customer service," Waski said of the receptionist. "We also have a list of eight or nine other duties for that person. When that person is on the phone calling for substitutes, the customer service dwindles."
The automated system will cost roughly $9,800 annually, but the first year includes a one-time $3,600 activation fee.
Administrators plan to hire a replacement for Beckwith, but they hope to take some of the sub-calling burden off the position.
"I think we will be compromised in the employee we get if we include sub calling," Waski said of the job duties. "I don't see an opportunity to cut staffing with this position."
Teachers across the district can still have their favorite top five lists for subs set up to the automated system. Substitutes will be able to look online to see available jobs in the district daily and can also accept jobs online.
There are 425 school districts that use the Frontline Absence Management system, 125 of which are in Wisconsin, including New Glarus, Verona, Beloit, Oregon and McFarland.
It will take six to eight weeks for Frontline Absence Management to implement the new system.
Waski said the goal is to have the district start using the automated sub-calling system after winter break, around the first week of January.