PHILADELPHIA (TNS) — The Cherry Hill school district has turned to a new pool of eager candidates to fill critical substitute teacher vacancies: parents.

Like many districts around the country, Cherry Hill has faced a shortage of both full-time teachers and substitutes to keep schools running when teachers are absent.

In a move that could become a model for other school systems in the region, the Zone PTA for Cherry Hill Public Schools offered to recruit prospective substitute teachers from its ranks, and dozens of parents have already stepped up, said Carolina Bevad, a parent who spearheaded the initiative.

Since last year, Bevad said, the parent group has held several information sessions with ESS, one of the largest national school staffing services, for parents to learn how to become substitutes. Some parents already had the required 30 college credits and, after criminal background checks, were quickly placed in schools, she said.

“My goal is to get the word out to parents that substitute teaching is an amazing opportunity,” said Bevad, who began substituting five years ago. “It can help your community. You can make an impact.”

Substitutes make their own schedule and can even take half-day assignments, making it an appealing job for retirees, stay-at-home parents, or those considering a career in education, Bevad said. Parents can work exclusively in Cherry Hill or take assignments elsewhere if there are no vacancies in the district on a given day.

Michelle Pacitti, a mother of three, became certified a year ago and accepted her first assignment in September when her youngest child entered kindergarten. After putting her children on the bus in the morning, she usually works at a nearby Cherry Hill school.

“I love it,” said Pacitti, 39. “I feel like I’m helping. I wish more people would step up.”

Since the Zone PTA’s recruitment began, more than 60 parents who attended a session have applied for a position, and about half have accepted substitute assignments at least once, said Brian Engle, vice president of operations for ESS, which provides more than 10,000 substitutes and paraprofessionals to New Jersey’s K-12 schools.

“It’s been very positive,” Engle said. “We will be looking to extend this elsewhere.”

In Cherry Hill, substitute positions pay between $145 and $169 a day, depending on the school assignment, Engle said. There are assignments for a day or two, or long-term positions, he said.

In addition to earning the required 30 college credits, substitute candidates must undergo fingerprinting and provide education and health records, Engle said. Those who accept 25 assignments during the year can be reimbursed up to $125 for certification fees, he said.

“We’re always looking for folks who want to come on board,” Engle said. “There’s still a need out there.”

Cherry Hill has a 92% “fill rate,” the percentage of daily teacher absences the district is able to cover with a substitute, Engle said. Without a substitute, other teachers are asked to cover the class, or an administrator fills in, said Superintendent Kwame Morton.

“It’s always tough when teachers are absent,” Morton said. He welcomes support from parents in the 11,000-student district, which has 19 schools, making it among the largest school systems in South Jersey.

Morton said the pandemic has made it difficult to fill critical vacancies. Schools around the country have struggled to hire teachers for math, science, health and physical education, and English as a second language.

In recent years, teachers have been leaving the profession at alarming rates, and enrollment in teaching programs has declined. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, lawmakers have taken steps to ease certificate requirements to get more teachers in the classroom and retain veteran educators.

In addition to the need for substitutes, Cherry Hill still has openings for world language teachers for the current school year, Morton said. The district needs five Spanish teachers in its middle and high schools, he said.

Pacitti said she substitutes about once or twice a week and enjoys assignments with different grade levels. One of her favorite assignments was filling in for an elementary school music teacher where she did a sing-along with students.

“I didn’t think I would like it,” she said with a chuckle. “It was cool.”

Pacitti said she tries to be the type of substitute she would want in her children’s classes at James F. Cooper Elementary. She can accept assignments there, but not in their class. She said she might consider returning to college to obtain a teaching certificate when her children are older.

“Every day is something different,” she said. “I love teaching. It feels like I’m important and not just a babysitter.”