At the start of the 2019-2020 school year, the substitute program at WA suffered a great decrease in size. Due to the school’s recent budget cuts, only a handful of substitute teachers remain.

Instead of going to their class with a sub, students go down to the cafe and complete the assignments that their teacher’s posts on Google Classroom. Though students don’t have a specific sub for the class, there are teachers in the cafe checking students into their classes and making sure that everyone is where they need to be. 

Students in the cafe may not be as on task as they would be if there was a substitute in their classes. Many students do other activities on their Chromebooks, causing them to not get their classwork done. This means that students fall behind and now the teacher has to take a class to review what they should have done in the cafe.

The students and faculty at WA all have different opinions on this new system. Some enjoy going to the cafe and working on their assignments while others would rather a substitute in the classroom. 

When I saw that sign on my English teacher’s door saying that my class needed to report to the cafe, I instantly wished that my teacher was here and that we did not need a change of schedule. In the cafeteria, the wi-fi is very slow and doesn’t always work.

Many people in the Westford community and surrounding towns take the job of substituting as a way to make a little extra money. Dismissing subs at WA meant that many were without that extra pay and for more frequent subs, their jobs. Though the majority of the subs have been eliminated, I do still see one or two every now and then. Returning back to the financial impact on the subs, I can’t help but wonder how they were affected by this decision financially.

I strongly feel that subs at WA should not have been dismissed. Having students report to the cafe for their class risks work not being done. Wifi is slow. Students also may not complete the work they’re given and may do other work not related to the class. If there was an official sub in the classroom, the sub will ensure that the class is on task with the assignment in google classroom. In conclusion, I believe subs should be reinstated at WA. Though some like this new plan, I do not and would be grateful to have the subs back. The budget cuts the town has made should not have interfered with WA subs. After speaking around with my friends, my opinion is shared amongst many other students.