Substitutes: Like Unicorns, But We Promise They Exist

📱  Screen time is probably worse than you thought:

In today’s edition of Things That Surprise No One, a new study from Seattle Children's Research Institute found that teens spend a quarter of their school day on their smartphones. Out of a 6.5-hour school day, 13- to 18-year-olds averaged 1.5 hours of screen time, with some clocking in over two hours.

So, what are they doing? Brushing up on calculus? Reading classic literature? Of course not. The top five app categories were:

📱 Messaging (because passing notes is so 2005)

📸 Instagram (for keeping up with crucial life updates, like what their friend’s dog ate for breakfast)

🎥 Video streaming (probably not educational videos)

🎧 Audio (because life needs a soundtrack)

📧 Email (…which we’re skeptical about, but okay)

We know smartphones aren’t taking over ECE like they are in high school, but we’re curious—are kids in your older classrooms bringing phones to school? If so, what’s your policy?

Let us know by answering the poll, hitting reply, or emailing us at [email protected]. We’ll share the results in our next issue!

We covered this last week, but the struggle to find quality subs is still hitting ECE programs hard. Without a reliable sub pool, many centers are scrambling daily just to stay open. This EdSurge article nails the issue, so we’ve saved you the TL;DR—here’s the gist.

ECE’s Sick Day Crisis: When Calling Out Feels Like a Crime

Cold and flu season is here, which means kids are sneezing directly into your soul, and teachers are dropping like flies. In K-12 schools, at least there’s a sub system. In ECE? Not so much. When an ECE teacher calls out, chaos ensues, and someone’s grandma might end up covering circle time (seriously we aren’t joking and you know it).

The “Warm Body” Hiring Strategy (Not Ideal)

With no built-in sub pool, ECE programs get desperate. Many scramble to find any adult who has passed a background check, just to keep the doors open. Meanwhile, dedicated teachers drag themselves into work half-alive because they know their absence means extra stress for already burnt-out coworkers.

The Pandemic Took Away the Backup Plan

Pre-pandemic, programs had “floaters” who could step in when needed. Now? Those floaters have been absorbed into full-time roles, leaving a sub shortage so bad that some directors are recruiting family members, churchgoers, and anyone who looks responsible enough to survive a preschool room.

The Fix? Keep Feeding the Sub Pipeline

A sub system isn’t just about having one—it’s about keeping it running. Right now, several for-profit and nonprofit groups are tackling the problem, and we see a major opportunity for a company to really solve it—just like Procare, Brightwheel, and Playground did for child care management.

Organizations like UpKid (nationwide) and ECEsubhub (Michigan) are focused on fair pay, proper vetting, and steady recruitment. The goal? Less burnout, fewer staffing scrambles, and—dare we say it—ECE teachers actually taking a guilt-free sick day when needed.

Weekly AI Hack

The Ecential is always researching new and creative ways to utilize AI to help with streamlining your workdays. You already have enough on your plates. So why spend time retyping handwritten notes (from observations to other classroom needs) when ChatGPT can do it for you with a couple of taps and clicks. Check out this video for a quick 6-step guide on how to save hours of unnecessary (and tedious) documentation. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rAh91V7ucM

Last week’s poll results: 

Last week we asked our audience what their favorite type of SWAG is. Tshirts for the Win with 65% of the votes!

Did you know:

On this date in 1885 – Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in the United States.

The Trump administration has directed federal agencies (including the Department of Health and Human Services which oversees ECE funding) to begin terminating employees who are within their one to two year probationary periods. Latest reports estimate about 3600 probationary employees with HHS will be impacted.

Saturday Night Live (SNL) celebrated its 50th birthday over the weekend. In light of this milestone we thought it would be fun to share the following sketches:

• Most popular SNL Sketch of all time (we love how Jimmy Fallon laughs at the 3:38 mark)

• In honor of Presiden’s Day yesterday……buy a mattress of course!

YOUR VOICE COUNTS

Is there a topic you want more info on or want to share a funny story? Then let us know! Shoot us a quick email at [email protected]. This newsletter is for you, and well, you should have a say, don't’ you think?