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Solutions to the Early Childhood Substitute Teacher Dilemma

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The childcare field, with low teacher pay and high stress, has struggled with burnout and teacher shortages, especially since the pandemic. The lack of a reliable, centralized pipeline of substitute teachers makes it harder to keep classrooms open and take care of teachers, said JC Elrod, director of The Learning Tree.

Published

10 months ago

July 4, 2025

Oakland Post

By Liz Bell, EdNC

This May in North Carolina, New Hanover County’s first early childhood substitute teacher from a new centralized substitute pool worked a shift at The Learning Tree, a licensed childcare center in Wilmington. Marquita Williams has since filled in several times in different classrooms at the center, providing coverage for teachers who called out sick or needed time off from the taxing work of early care and education. The childcare field, with low teacher pay and high stress, has struggled with burnout and teacher shortages, especially since the pandemic. The lack of a reliable, centralized pipeline of substitute teachers makes it harder to keep classrooms open and take care of teachers, said JC Elrod, director of The Learning Tree. “It’s just as needed here as it is in schools,” Elrod said. “If we don’t have teachers, we can’t provide care.”

A two-year $600,000 grant from Live Oak Bank is funding the county’s first local substitute pool through Wonderschool, a national venture-backed company focused on providing technology and business support services to early care and education providers. “The idea that a childcare provider shouldn’t have an easy way to take a day off, or to take a sick day, or whatever it may be, is crazy,” said Jason Moss, director of new government initiatives at Wonderschool. “There needs to be a solution for that.” Williams is one of 10 onboarded substitute teachers in the pool so far, said Jenna Talbot, a spokesperson for the company. Thirty-seven more teachers are going through orientation. Thirty licensed programs in the county are signed up to participate. Wonderschool has created a statewide substitute pool in Mississippi, but the New Hanover project is its first local version. They hope to spread the model across the state, Moss said. “Our goal is to demonstrate that this is a great local solution so that others can form their own conclusions and say, ‘This now needs to be like a great statewide solution,’” Moss said.

The company provides a digital platform where licensed programs list jobs and where qualified area teachers apply. Wonderschool onboards the teachers, including an interview and orientation process. Candidates answer a screener on their experience and skills and then complete a phone interview, Talbot said. If chosen, candidates then go through an orientation that includes basic information on job expectations, classroom management, child health and safety, and platform usage. Wonderschool employees ensure that the individuals meet state requirements and have appropriate documentation. A provider can then easily access those documents through the platform.

‘A win-win’

During the pandemic, many of the center’s more seasoned teachers retired as the job came with higher health risks. There were days when Elrod and Amber Dyson, the program’s assistant director, closed the office and filled vacancies in classrooms themselves. “We’re gonna make it work, somehow,” Elrod said she remembers thinking. She said she didn’t want to close classrooms or turn parents away at the last minute, as some programs had to do. So, it was all hands on deck to ensure sufficient teacher-to-child ratios were met. “That’s how we functioned for many years,” Elrod said. Elrod and Dyson said that in the past year, it feels as if they have started to turn a corner in terms of staffing. For now, they are almost fully staffed. “We only have some afternoon part-time positions available,” Dyson said. “But even then, we still find ourselves with holes every day.” The two have begun tapping into the substitute pool while planning for the upcoming week. When they notice a day when staffing might be tight, they post the jobs a few days in advance.

When the day arrives, even if there are enough staff to make things work, there is always someone who deserves some time off, Elrod said. “That’s a win-win, because we’re utilizing the system, the substitute is getting their hours, and our regular staff is getting a breath of fresh air,” she said. Dyson and Elrod said they occasionally call on some of the center’s former full-time teachers to substitute. But that doesn’t fill the program’s full need, they said. The pool also saves them time and administrative costs, they said. Onboarding a new substitute themselves usually takes two to three weeks, they said, and includes coordinating and sometimes paying for background checks, physicals, and medical tests. The pool provides them with quick access and teachers who have already taken care of the required steps. Williams said she has had a smooth orientation process and positive experiences subbing at The Learning Tree. In the mornings, she works with autistic children. She used to work in childcare full-time, but said substitute teaching gives her some variety in her work and flexibility in her schedule. “I love being able to pick my hours and not being tied down,” Williams said.

‘A deep bench to pull from’

Moss said there are “personas” they are looking for in potential substitutes, like retired schoolteachers, mothers, and college students. They’ve used a mix of marketing strategies to find potential substitutes. Once the teachers are onboarded and start working, they receive bonuses to reward them for certain milestones: $75 after completing their first job, $150 after working their first 40 hours (and an extra $100 if certain trainings are completed at that time), $200 after completing 200 hours, $250 upon completing 150 hours or more in a single month, and $250 for referring other teachers who are signed up and work at least 40 hours. Wonderschool sets a minimum rate for the programs it provides, depending on the local market. In New Hanover, the minimum pay for participating programs is $14 per hour. In Mississippi, Moss said, some substitutes have ended up becoming full-time teachers. “A sub pool can be this sort of launch pad for a more permanent role in childcare,” he said. Wonderschool is now onboarding 37 teachers, Talbot said. She said 30 to 40 teachers will give the 30 participating programs “a deep bench to pull from, to ensure consistent support for families.” The model requires monitoring to make sure there are not too many or too few teachers for the number of participating programs, Moss said. “You’re trying to find perfect harmony,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure there’s enough substitutes. Otherwise, providers push jobs and nobody responds, and then they get disincentivized. They don’t want to push jobs. So, then you get enough substitutes, and you’ve got to get your providers back up.”

‘Developmentally, age-appropriate ratios’

Wonderschool has been lobbying at the legislature this session, Moss said. Since providing some North Carolina child care programs with its digital platform in 2020 through pandemic relief funds, the company has grown in scope and in the services it offers. Providers in such states as New Mexico, Florida, and Indiana use the company’s platform to connect with families. The company also creates substitute pools, as in Mississippi, and recruits and helps set up new childcare programs, as in Michigan, Idaho, and Missouri. “It’s all based on sort of what are the greatest needs that states are facing to support childcare,” Moss said in an EdNC interview in March. Sen. Jim Burgin, R-Harnett, a co-chair of Gov. Josh Stein’s Task Force on Child Care and Early Education, said he has met with Wonderschool representatives multiple times and heard of their success opening family child care programs.

Both the House and Senate budget proposals include pilots to increase in-home childcare capacity and set up substitute pools in localities through outside vendors that meet certain requirements and are chosen by local councils of government. Burgin said those requirements could be met by multiple vendors. “I want to make sure children are safe, number one, and they’re being educated, number two,” Burgin said.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

1 week ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

Published

1 week ago

May 3, 2026

admin

Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

Published

1 week ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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