A Quarterly Publication Of The Oregon Substitute Teachers Association

Third Edition 2025

Inside this edition you’ll find, two new IMPORTANT surveys (Please participate), unemployment update, Messages From the Front Lines, Annual Meeting Program, Helpful Hints and Wisdom…

OSTA Moves Forward with Your Support!

OSTA Needs YOU! Please help us create an Active Oregon Substitute Teacher List

We are asking you to help us generate an accurate list of all working Oregon substitutes. If you are an active sub, or know an active sub, in the state of Oregon, please let us know by clicking below.

Musings of a Daily Sub

by Pansy Pie

Satchel packed and lunch made

The cold morning mist hits me, and I head back in for my coat

I don’t remember if I have recess duty in the mornings at this school

Should I remember such things?

So many passwords to manage, world spinning like a top — how could I possibly memorize each school’s protocol?

Anyway, I’d better get going if I want to get settled before the students arrive 

Hmmm. Which class is it?

Crap! the car is making that clunking noise again

— WATCH OUT!

The pedestrian light is blinking

Oh yes, that one little girl with the long, blonde hair who fawns over my outfits will be there…

And the mop-topped questioner whose ponderings could take up everyone’s break…

And there’s those two in this class I’ll need to be clever and never put them together, or there’ll be a fight…

I really shouldn’t speed, having to explain to the police that I’m on my way to teach youth how to best live in civil society - AWKWARD 

I’d better slow down. Yes, slow everything down

My breathing

My thinking

My classroom for the day

A Letter from our Vice President

Hello and happy summer everyone!

We here at OSTA hope all educators are enjoying and finding rest and peace in this summer season, so far a fairly mild season this year of 2025.

2025 is OSTA's 50th year in existence, and we continue to work to advocate and support Oregon guest teachers with our all volunteer Board. Do you have any time to contribute to OSTA? Please join us as a paying member and if you have any available time to contribute to this most unique organization please come to a weekly Office Hours any Thursday afternoon at 4:30 pm and let us know so that we might determine how you can help us!

We have had a stellar response to our recent UP Survey and we thank you for your participation! Moving forward we want to fortify our work with some of our own data and factual information accumulated from those on the front lines, so please continue to contribute to our "Surveys!"

Looking forward we have a daunting development with the upcoming school year and the Governor's ban on cell phones. We will be discussing this more moving forward.

Our Annual Fall Conference & Meeting will be Saturday, October 11th at Chemeketa Eola Conference Center. We will have presentations from Oregon Humanities with an introduction from their Director and a presentation and training led by one of their Conversation Project facilitators that should help us incorporate some techniques and strategies to help us in the creation of bridges to subs all over the state. Nick Nash is a professor at Blue Mountain Community College and has been leading unique conversations about the Urban & Rural Divide all over the state. A particularly relevant subject for OSTA as we attempt to engineer systems, refine procedures, and grow participation to expand our membership and ensure that OSTA continues for another 50 years!

Please join us in October at the beautiful Chemeketa Eola event center.

Included in this Newsletter are helpful hints, sources, and articles from the Front Lines from active Oregon Guest Teachers. If you have anything that you think might be helpful or informative for members please don't hesitate to send it to us.

You may notice that you are receiving regular communications from us. With this Quarterly Newsletter, and our periodic email blasts that contain specific reminders, surveys, news, or announcements, this effort is meant to enhance awareness of our existence, and our work, so that we can leverage our long history for all Oregon Guest Teachers moving forward while building membership and support statewide for OSTA to continue.

Stay tuned for initiatives, board positions, and other opportunities to contribute to the landscape of Oregon education From the Front Lines.

Sincerely,

Jon Deshler

VP OSTA

P.S.

We have included some content in regards to the Governor's ban on cell phones this coming school year. We encourage everyone to consider this initiative seriously. Undoubtedly, this is a controversial subject, and I'd like to add some thoughts below.

When we invent significant new technologies and without consideration or study we inflict it on our children I don't think we are doing anything other than an experiment. So, I think it is irresponsible.

When I was a young professional, in about 1990, I had one of those original "Brick" cell phones. It was utilitarian. Nothing remotely like social media, just a remote phone.

Every generation of human child heretofore has, for hundreds of thousands of years, had the benefit of their individual personal human development occur over time within the realm of the "common" four dimensions. That is to say, in the real physical world with space, direction, and time, etc. 

Now in one generation, "business" has created something that we think we can't do without. A so called - Smart Phone. A fine tool indeed. But, it has been determined to be so much more.

Please do your research, observe your surroundings, and make notes as we proceed in this experiment on our children. We may need to accumulate our collective observational data on this subject for use in the future. We want OSTA to continue to make positive contributions in the evolution of our collective consciousness surrounding our children and their human development. 

Founder’s Corner

Below is an agenda from a meeting in 1978, no Zoom, no tech, just a willing group of Oregon Substitutes seeking camaraderie. Networking? What’s that?

Contributed by Phyllis Kirkwood

Substitute Teacher of the Year News

Hector Cobb is to be honored at OSTA’s Fall Conference as the 2024-2025 Oregon Substitute Teacher of the Year. He is quick on his feet and in his creativity as he is known as the rapping substitute and students cheer when he arrives in class. 

In April, for the 26th time, an OSTY committee was tasked with the delightful challenge of analyzing 119 nominations for Oregon Substitute of the Year. In early June, a final decision was made to honor Hector Cobb, a cherished substitute who has taught internationally and has fifty years of substitute teaching experience!

He will share his story and wisdom with us this October 11th at Chemeketa, Eola Cellars, and we hope substitutes from all over Oregon will join OSTA in celebrating him!

Also at the annual conference this year, another finalist, Sarkawt Sabir, humble and beloved for his humorous and quirky TikTok videos will also join us at OSTA’s annual Fall Conference to share his unique educational story. 

Substitute Teacher of the Year Chair, Sally Sue, announced she is stepping down from her board position with OSTA after 26 busy and fruitful years. Her enormous talents will surely be missed! Under Sally Sue, the program blossomed for 26 years! She could be counted on for her planning, preparing, speaking skills, and her love of calligraphy! Impeccable, artful, and with a beautiful commitment to craft for over 25 years, each poster, award letter and notification is worthy as a cherished keepsake! She will continue as a consultant to the new chair. Our board hopes a new chair and committee members will be nominated and voted in this October.

— Kimberly Mandel, Substitute Teacher of the Year Committee Member

_________________________________________________________________

Offered by Sally Sue Cellers, out-going Oregon Substitute Teacher of the Year Chair (OSTY) of 26 years…

In 2000 Phyllis Kirkwood was unanimously chosen to be OSTA's first Substitute Teacher of the Year. Since then, the process has become more formalized and expanded to include school board introductions, newspaper coverage, radio interviews, school assembly and yearbook honors, in addition to legislative introductions by senators and representatives at the Capitol in Salem.

Recognizing the valuable contributions that substitute teachers make to the educational team continues to be the priority program for OSTA. The nominees represent the high standards that OSTA values .

Oregon is blessed to have a wealth of outstanding substitutes who are prepared each day to guide our students.

For 26 years, Sally Sue Cellers has chaired this inspirational program. It is now time to relinquish the reins to others.

Each task is well documented year by year, so it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel. The celebration of outstanding substitute teachers can grow with new creative leadership. 

Please consider being the next OSTY chairperson!

_____________________________________________________________

You can make a difference as an active OSTA Member.

With only, a few hours a month, you can support OSTA, and support substitutes all over Oregon. If you are, or have been, a substitute, please email: ostasubs@hotmail.com about what you are interested in. Events? Procedures? Website analytics? We have board positions that will need to be filled at Fall Conference.

OSTA is the only organization in the U.S.A. voluntarily run by substitutes for substitutes.

Any help is welcome.

Print this flyer, and with permission, post it in staff rooms everywhere. THANK YOU!

ostasubs.org

Unemployment Update

On August 22, 2025 three of your OSTA Board members engaged in an important Zoom meeting with a UI Program Analyst from Oregon Unemployment. It was informative, educational, and slightly disconcerting.

Here's the essential process that you are absolutely entitled to engage in with Oregon Unemployment as an Oregon Licensed Substitute Teacher.

-You are always allowed to establish an annual claim.

-You should, to the best of your ability, answer the questions contained in the Frances portal as well as you can.

-Do your Worksource requirements and wait.

-Begin weekly claim reporting when instructed to.

Now, from that point forward "we" will be at the whim of their internal systems of discernment and decision making. If for any reason you believe that they have made a mistake in their determination of your claim benefit, they have informed us that you should absolutely APPEAL their decision.

The way it was conveyed to us is that the appeal process is welcome within their overall processing system. It helps them refine their processes while trying to do their best for working Oregonians.

Messages from the Front Lines

Alternative Education Schools 

Karen Sims

I wanted to tell you a little bit about working in Alternative Education.  If you have not tried it yet.. it may be worth a try.  I have worked in several of these schools.  I am currently working as a Building Substitute teacher at a correctional facility.  There are some new ones in Salem that have very few students enrolled in them.  One in Salem that works with students who have drug and alcohol issues just opened up.  Just as in public schools, there are pros and cons to working in alternative education settings. 

I enjoy smaller class sizes, sometimes it may be a single student and rarely goes above a dozen.  I also appreciate the extra support you may get with Security around.  You do need tough skin, as you may be tested.  I have learned to try my best not to take things personally.  There are more disruptions in some settings such as detention centers.  There may be a high turn around as students are placed in various settings at any given time.  They may be taken to a treatment program or even back home to the community. 

In contrast to public schools, you do need to pay attention to security more.  There may be more rules to learn initially.  Some of these schools may be open year round as well so if you are seeking Summer employment, this may be an option for you.  I only have a two week Summer vacation at the correctional facility toward the end of June through 4th of July.  They do have another week off in September as well as two weeks off in the Winter. 

Hope this helps you make a decision to try out different settings in your substitute teaching adventure.  If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!   Karen Sims, karensims1@hotmail.com. 

___________________________________________

Governor’s Cell Phone Ban, 2025

By Steve Frank

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed an executive order on July 2, 2025 prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day in all of Oregon's K-12 public schools. Every Oregon school district will have to adopt a policy prohibiting student cellphone use by October 31, 2025.  The policies must be in full effect on January 1, 2026.

I hold a Legacy Teaching License.  I've been teaching for many years and have settled into teaching Elementary PE in recent years.  I love it and the kids!

Rather than me giving you my opinion, I'm going to relate the perspectives of two college students who have experienced cellphone usage throughout their public school experiences.

I asked them: What do you think about the ban on cellphone usage in our public schools?

College Student A:  "I personally think that it has a good purpose but seems to be executed poorly.  I've had teachers in the past try to implement cellphone bans in their classrooms.  It works for about a month and then it disintegrates.  I am curious if there will be incentives for teachers and administrators to uphold the ban.  I do think a bell to bell ban is unrealistic because cellphones are a part of everyday life and to ban them for the whole day is taking away a useful tool.  I do think that cellphone usage in schools can be distracting.  The right way to go about this is to promote good habits and appropriate cellphone usage when the students are very young.  This appropriate behavior should be promoted at home and at school."

College Student D:  "I think it's really smart for students who really struggle with attention issues.  My concern is that parents or students might need direct contact with each other.  There are many positive reasons to have a cellphone at school.  Important issues arise that may require immediate contact with parents or the student.  There are times when the cooperation with staff is limited and can be frustrating to the student, me.  I've experienced that situation.  Cellphones can be disruptive but banning them altogether, trying to enforce the ban and limiting self-actualization is not helpful to the development of the individual. Parents should have input into the District's decision making process."

Okay, here's my 2 cents.  Trying to enforce a cellphone ban in all public schools is going to be a monumental task and will have unintended consequences. We need to teach our children to be responsible.  A cohesive, student-parent-teacher solution would benefit our public schools much more than a K-12 ban on cellphones.

CHECK YOUR MEMBERSHIP - MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS -

New Members -

www.ostasubs.org/shop/p/introductory-members

Existing Members

www.ostasubs.org/shop/p/membership-renewal

OSTA Email Address

www.ostasubs@hotmail.com

Please remember that only dues-paying members, in good standing, are eligible to vote and be on our board.

GUEST TEACHER GUIDEPOSTS

Helpful hints and wisdom…

Books

Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms by Timothy D. Walker

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (available on Audible for 1 credit)

Links & Podcasts

• On YouTube.com, Childhood 2.0

• Edutopia - expansive, for grades K-12, researched pedagogy

• Share YOUR ideas at ostasubs@hotmail.com

SURVEYS

Join OSTA in becoming a resource for the collection of factual data and objective information provided by those of us on the front lines.

PROGRAM

2025 Annual Fall Conference

OSTA FALL CONFERENCE Oct 11, 2025

Conference opens at 8 am. 

8:00 - 8:30  Socialize, networking  

8:30 - 9:00  Zoom Norms 

- General Welcome 

- Honors and presentations

9:00 - 9:30  Introduction Oregon Humanities

Speaker Jennifer Alkezweeny, Director of Oregon Humanities

9:30 - 10:30  Conservation Project, Nick Nash

10:30 - 10:45  BREAK

10:45 - 11:15  Substitute Teacher of the Year 2025, Sally Sue Cellars

11:15 - 12:15  Business Meeting- State of Organization

Board Reports:

President - Leslie Polson

VP - Jon Deshler (operations & communications)

Government Affairs Report -Debbie Fery 

Membership - Kimberly Mandel

Secretary - Sarah Kennedy

Treasurer - Bruce Beebe

- OSTA Advocacy Reports - Cell Phone Ban - PDUs Return

- TSPC & Licensure

12:15 Lunch

Board  Nominations from the Floor (President, VP, SToY, Secretary, GAC Chair, Members-at-Large) Update Google Forms (Online; Leslie Polson)

1:00 - 2:00 Jessica Smith,  STEDI

2 :00 - 2:10  BREAK 

2:10 - 2:40  Korene Erickson, Deescalation

2:40 - 3:15  OSTA Business, elections, PDU’s, evaluations

3:00 - 3:15  Door Prizes - Final Questions - Answer Period

Save the date, click here and register!

Saturday, October 11th

We look forward to seeing you this year at our new meeting site at Chemeketa Eola event center!