Have you to find your own substitute cover?

Sheep In The Field

Hi Teachers,
I'm a primary teacher with 15+ years experience of teaching in Dublin and down the country and always enjoyed my job.
After a few years out of the system, I recently got myself a permanent job (yay) in a school with a very "demanding" principal. It is a small school and the rest of the staff are lovely if quite young compared to me. They nearly all are past pupils of the school, and were taught by the principal, and are a bit scared of her to be honest.
Anyways, she casually threw out a comment at the last staff meeting that she is going to delegate the finding of substitute teachers to us. Meaning that if we are going to be off, we have to organise our own substitute as cover.
I immediately found this strange as I'd never heard of it in all my years teaching and honestly thought it was part of the principal's job description. I said so to the other teachers but they didn't want to rock the boat with the principal.
I just feel that in a time of crisis, e.g. sickness or death in the family, asking us to go ringing around trying to find a sub is a bit much.
Is this something I missed out on? Does this happen elsewhere?
Thanks for any comments.

solerina

No, it certainly does not. She is obviously being lazy. Finding cover is part of her job and nothing to do with you. Tell her n the nicest way possible to get lost and do it herself, she is getting paid to do it after all !!

Sheep In The Field

Thanks solarina.
I thought it was weird alright, but wasn't sure if it was the done thing nowadays! I'm only new there and don't really want to pi$$ anyone off (least of all the principal) but feel like this is a bit too much to be asking us.
Gonna casually approach a few of the more senior members on staff and try to gauge their opinions before I tackle her about it.
Thanks again.

onway

We have to arrange our own sub cover in my school!

Redser87

I subbed in loads of schools last year and was always contacted by the principal or deputy, never the teacher. Subs are in short supply this year - much harder for principals to find cover, in my area anyway!

evolving_doors

dunno how id feel about taking on the responsibility for hiring! If anything were to go wrong who'd be responsible? like the chances are slight but itd still be important to know who carries the can... imo whoever gets paid extra for managerial duties gets paid extra for a reason.
One for the union ..
Or else get the most 'against the ethos of the school' person you can find.. tattoos, piercings, overt satanist, smokes outside the gates etc..

mirrorwall14

Redser87 wrote: »

I subbed in loads of schools last year and was always contacted by the principal or deputy, never the teacher. Subs are in short supply this year - much harder for principals to find cover, in my area anyway!

Jeez really? I know our part timers are significantly down on sub hours again this year

Redser87

I'm in primary and there are no new BEds out this year!

joebloggs32

The principal or deputy are the managers of the school, and get a sub is one of the duties they are paid for.