On December 17, 2021, Governor Tom Wolf signed HB 412, which is now Act 91, and amends the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No. 14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, to address the immediate need for substitute teachers due to the pandemic.

HB 412 was originally introduced in February 2021 by Rep. Barbara Gleim and will expand the number of individuals eligible to substitute in public schools and will provide schools with the flexibility they need to continue providing safe, structured learning environments for K-12 students.

Flexibilities for school years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 include:

• Retired teachers are now eligible to fill teacher vacancies on an emergency or short-term basis.
• Schools can use eligible college students and recent graduates of education programs to serve as substitute teachers.
• Educators with active Pennsylvania certificates and those with comparable out-of-state certificates can serve as day-to-day substitutes for 20 days, or longer under certain circumstances.
• Teachers with inactive certificates may substitute for 180 days instead of 90 days per school year.
• Individuals who are 25 or older, have at least 60 college credits or 3 years of experience as a paraprofessional, and complete training on classroom management, may serve as “classroom monitors” by delivering pre-planned assignments for a teacher.

Unfortunately, despite the exemplary efforts of the Governor and General Assembly, the Omicron COVID-19 wave has put a tremendous strain on schools as they try to fill holes left by affected staff.