Swing Education, an on-demand marketplace for substitute teachers, has expanded its services to Chicago and surrounding areas in Cook County, bringing a much-needed solution to schools and districts grappling with the substitute teacher shortage.

According to a 2018 report from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools, 85 percent of Illinois superintendents reported the teacher shortage was a problem – an increase from the previous year. About 65 percent – or five out of every eight superintendents – also reported a “serious problem” with substitute teacher shortages. Many were unable to fill positions with qualified personnel, resulting in numerous classes being cancelled.

“Keeping schools fully staffed is so important – students, educators, and families are hurt when absences go uncovered,” said Mike Teng, CEO of Swing Education. “We know Chicago and Cook County have been hit particularly hard by staffing shortages, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to help the area’s schools and districts tackle this significant challenge.” 

 Swing Education marries two methods schools currently use to find substitutes – staffing agencies that provide substitute teachers to schools, and technology companies that offer software for schools to manage their own substitutes – into a single easy solution to help its 1,500-plus school partners combat staffing shortages.

 The company relieves schools and districts of the burden of substitute teacher recruiting, support, and payment. Swing also makes it easy for schools and districts to quickly and easily cover absences – it takes schools 30-60 seconds to post a request on Swing’s platform, and substitute teachers can accept assignments via text message or the company’s web-based app. (Swing is one of only a handful of organizations to make text notifications available to substitute teachers – educators often find these more convenient than taking assignments via early-morning phone calls.)

 Additionally, as part of its mission to increase the number of qualified educators entering the substitute teaching profession, Swing Education reimburses educators for start-up and permit-related expenses.

  To learn more about Swing Education, visit www.swingeducation.com.

 About Swing Education

Founded in 2015, Swing Education addresses the nationwide substitute teacher shortage by helping schools connect with qualified educators via an easy-to-use, web-based marketplace. The company’s diverse pool of substitute teachers consists of both veteran educators and those who are entering into the education community through Swing Education. To date, the company has helped more than 1,500 school partners across California, Arizona, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C. fill 150,000+ teacher absence days. To learn more about Swing Education, visit www.swingeducation.com.