substitute teacher

account manager

paraprofessional

special education teacher

recruiter

ESS Education

I am a college student that is currently an education major, and I am seeking to be a teacher in the future. To start off, ESS is a great company, and I have truly enjoyed my time and experiences gained. If you are a college student or a person seeking to gain classroom experience in various settings, ESS provides that wonderful opportunity. You have the freedom and flexibility to choose the days you want to work, the grades you want to cover for, and the buildings/teachers you would like to work for. They provide great, flexible, and meaningful work. I have had MANY positive, productive, and astonishing rewarding experiences during my time within the company. I can truly say that I am the luckiest person in the world to have been given the opportunity to work for this company and make a dedicated impact on the students and schools. I remain committed to consistent learning and will always work to reflect and seek improvement to make sure that I perform my job to the best of my abilities each day.

However, there are multiple concerns that need to be addressed. They have been addressed in the past by multiple staff members within this company, but things have not appeared to improve. One of the biggest concerns is that job security is a major issue. This company does not communicate effectively with substitutes. Disappointingly, it only takes ONE teacher's complaint - often due to miscommunication or misunderstanding - for a sub to be banned from a school. They do not make the effort to keep in contact with a substitute if they are unsure of something or have simple feedback. They immediately fill out an incident report. When a substitute's day goes absolutely smooth with not one speck of thought in mind that anything has gone wrong, due to receiving no indication from any adult that any issue has occurred, how are they supposed to learn from constructive criticism when schools can block subs in one click of a button? With no communication whatsoever that anything has gone wrong? Additionally, feedback stays on record and does not clear, even if schools have gracefully resolved simple misunderstandings or miscommunications and have requested a sub to return following an incident report. In my experience, I had 2 small incidents in 2 different schools related to classroom management, that were a slight misunderstanding. I have resolved these instances within the schools, and they each have welcomed me back. There was not a real issue, and the school has been able to confirm that. They have both been resolved effectively. However, it still counted against me in my standing with ESS, and the final warning I have received in the company due to those now solved incident continued to stand. I wholeheartedly understand and respect that given that these are school settings where minors are present, it is important to maintain a record of incident reports. However, once an issue has been resolved, it should no longer be counted against a substitute. Especially if the incident was a miscommunication that has been resolved. This tells me that the current layout of this company clearly does not value the quality of hard-working, passionate, dedicated substitute teachers. As a substitute teacher who performed my job to the greatest of my abilities each day, cared about each and every student, staff member, and school, built a positive rapport with each school over the course of several years, and took great pride in the passion that I put into doing what I jumped out of bed in the morning excited to do each day, it is truthfully heartbreaking to face the fact that I am not valued or appreciated by this company. Many fellow staff can vouch that I am not alone on this. It is especially heartbreaking to me, as a passionate educator, that my presence is not appreciated. Multiple teachers, administrators, and students can vouch the numerous positive contributions I have made to the quality of the classrooms, schools, and the environment, and the fact that I was easily brushed away by ESS is saddening. I have made the decision to resign from the company in January. It was certainly a hard decision to make given the wonderful experience I had working with them. I would be more than willing to return if ESS does the right thing and overturns the final warning I have on my record that I do not deserve, as each incident report has been resolved. It is difficult for me to perform my job to the best of my abilities knowing that one little mistake, that can easily be missed, can lead to termination, and there will be no way of finding out until it happens due to unsatisfactory communication.

The job offers an easy way for daily substitutes to get plenty of jobs if the substitute lives in South Jersey where it is based.  The pay is generally lower than elsewhere, but it allows substitute teachers to easily apply for jobs.

Now that the positives are done, I will describe the negatives.  The Human Resources department is very incompetent.  It took several weeks for them to invite me to a introduction meeting and then took several weeks for them to approve my documents.  I have had several problems such as the system not allowing me to see any substitute jobs when I did not change any settings.  The human resources department could never help me the first time I called.  I needed to contact a different human resources worker to get help.  When I resigned, I had to talk to many people to finally get my health benefits canceled even though I was told it would automatically cancel.

The company makes substitutes pay for training even if they are certified teachers.  The training is basically get to know you exercises followed by very basic tips such as do not fall asleep or touch a student.  They offer certified teachers training that takes half the time, but they still have to pay the full amount.

Long term substitutes are the main victims of this company.  The law says that long term substitutes that work more than two months must get a starting teacher salary.  This is a fair law considering long term substitutes are in fact teachers.  However, if the school has their long term substitutes get employed by source4 teachers (even if the school did not find them through source4 teachers), they can pay substantially less (some are over $150 per dayless than what the law states should be the minimum).  Source4 Teachers still takes their very large cut from this salary, even if they did not set the substitute teacher with the school.

Source4 Teachers is especially a bad company because it hurts the entire system for substitute teachers (especially long term substitutes), not just those working for the company.  It may be beneficial for people to be temporarily employed by the company, but all substitute teachers would be better off if the company did not exist.  Schools save money on long term substitute teachers and health benefits (you will not get good insurance through source4 teachers), so it will continue.  

Source4 Teachers is successful by taking advantage of desperate teachers.  It saves money for schools at a large expense from substitute teachers.

Typical day of work is eight hours
What I believe I learned is that pettiness seems to be in the air rules are not enforced in the schools, especially with cell phones when there’s a ban on them, and I was told by a manager that each school district makes up their own rules, but if there’s a ban on them Then the schools are breaking the law hardest part of the job is management at ESS calling you about extreme pettiness hearsay nonsense and they always believe the stupidity that is told to them instead of buffering things out, there’s a lot of discrimination at this company they pick and choose who they wanna discipline I’ve seen it firsthand they just don’t leave good teachers alone with their pettiness drama. Not a very good place to work for no benefits no time off you don’t get travel pay you don’t get cancellation pay as you can pull into the parking lot and they can cancel you while you’re there and you get nothing, after you spent all morning, getting ready to go into the shift I do not recommend this company in anyway shape or form they actually should be closed down school districts need to take responsibility for their own students and their own substitutes like they used to many many years ago  students and parents will do anything to keep their children out of trouble even if it means trying to throw a substitute under the bus because we are actually the guinea pigs with this company. There is a high turnover rate management does not care about your well-being your families, well-being, your hours or anything for that matter, and they most certainly do not know how to handle things appropriately, what should should not be entertained not to mention some school districts require substitutes to put children on the bus this is a very dangerous situation. Substitute teachers are only that they are just a fill-in for a day unless you take a permanent assignment then that’s totally different substitute teacher do not know these. Children are coming in for one day do not know who these children are, nor do they know who their parents are or their caretaker or person who should and should not be picking them up from school buses  or in car riders therefore substitute teacher should not be putting any children on buses or in cars that they don’t know these people. It is very very dangerous because you can put them with a parent that they were not supposed to go with you could put them with a stranger, or stranger can say hey I have this tag  and you send them off and who is going to be held responsible the substitute, not the school the substitute and I got news for you. The schools will throw you under the bus first before they throw their own employees. !!

I worked for ESS in the Dayton city school district for 1 full school year, mostly in high schools.

On the bright side, the job listing system is very convenient. Through the absence management app, you can see every teacher absence that's been submitted in every school in the district. Depending on how much notice the teachers give, you might see listings months in advance and be able to set your schedule ahead of time (although a large number of listings tend to be entered the night before the absence). There are almost always enough listings to work every day of the week if you want to. They encourage at least 3 work days a month, but we were told that wasn't mandatory in order to keep your job. That level of flexibility is extremely convenient.

On the other hand, it's a rough and discouraging job. The school culture in Dayton tends to be chaotic, with the majority of students viewing substitutes (and some of their permanent teachers) with open scorn. I was treated disrespectfully on a daily basis, with students refusing to follow instructions, insulting and mocking me, lying about their names during attendance so they could sneak into the class with their friends, and occasionally even threatening me. Getting students to do their work or even maintain a reasonable indoor volume required balancing a very assertive classroom management style with enough friendliness and positivity to avoid seeming confrontational. 

Unfortunately, though there was an optional orientation meeting, no classroom management advice was offered. (In my case, the orientation session didn't occur until a month and a half after I had been hired.) Aside from a single  meeting mainly consisting of tips about what to bring to classes and instructions for how to apply for our licenses and how to handle the logistics of using the app, I did not receive any additional training for this position.

But in spite of all that, the staff of every school I taught at were very welcoming and supportive, and were happy to have the help, as there is currently a shortage of subs in this school district. And though there were many cases of disrespect from students, it can be rewarding being able to help students have a slightly better school day by offering fun activities and giving them advice on their schoolwork. It's important to keep in mind that being a student is a rough job, too, after all.

I would recommend this job if you're in need of a flexible schedule, but keep  in mind that you'll need a good deal of patience and adaptability for it. I wouldn't recommend this job if you're easily frazzled or tend to buckle under a lot of stress. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Being able to choose when and where for me is perfect. I'm a student as well, along with being a single mother, so I only work at my son's school. I can take him in & out with me and that means NO paying for childcare!! I don't have to overload my schedule, can stay close & out of the huge rush hour! Working with children also gives me another POV that works with my degree and I'm only learning more! WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN! I only gave 4-star because the harder jobs (EX. tough areas of town or ESE) are supposed to be an extra $30-$40 a day and I just realized I have not been getting paid that extra money (I don't know if it's ESS or the district causing that issue.) Otherwise, it's incredible to make your own schedule (I believe you only have to work 5 days a month to keep your employment) and make "decent" money while pursuing your other ventures.  With the app you can filter job selection by school, location, teacher, grade, etc... If it paid more daily (I think with the shortage of teachers and literally being able to pick up 5 days a week, every week if you wanted to because substitutes are needed so badly) it wouldn't be a bad career! 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
There's absolutely nothing stressful about working for the company! I would imagine if you picked up the wrong job (like a high school math class that you didn't know much about or a bad area of town) that would be difficult! But you pick your jobs! Working with kids everyday can be stressful, and if the teacher does not leave good plans, that can also make for a tough day. But ESS is open to those issues and will take it up with the district. The company is amazing! 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
That all entirely depends on the jobs you pick. You really don't have much communication with the company after you are hired, beyond putting in your hours through the app. Ive never had issues with getting paid or anything like that. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Again, the app lets you pick your jobs and filter out what you do not want. So, a day at the school you choose is what you ask for. The app is super simple to work and inputting your hours is all you need to do! You go through one training course (the second one is optional and gives you a little pay raise.) Take the required drug screen and level II background check (was $80 here and they sometimes will refund that back to you.) Then you have a representative for your area you can reach out to if you have any issues with the schools you work. I have only met my rep under good circumstances.

I think for those looking to gain working experience in classroom management or whatnot, this job is a great springboard! The hours are very flexible, allowing you to pick and choose the schools you want to sub in. For example, not interested in during elementary school? Well with ESS, so many jobs opening up for all types of schools that it is an easy task to traverse through the website and get the job you want. Plus, for the amount of pay you receive, the benefits are also quite decent. But these qualities are muddled somewhat the longer you stay as a sub.

One main issue that never got better was the process of getting a job for the day. With ESS, jobs just open up randomly throughout the day, with barely any warning to figure out if it is the task you want. The problem arises when it is a job you do not want; the website and the Aesop app does not have a way to curate through the jobs you want to apply for, so unless you get lucky and a bunch of jobs opens up that day - which rarely happens from my experience - you are essentially out of a job and have to try again tomorrow. What makes things worse is the fact that teachers can cancel at any time, meaning that you can be at the school, and a job will be cancelled 30 minutes before you start, which effectively wastes your time and your money. (By the way, I am not blaming the teachers for deciding to come back to work.)
The job is flexible sure, but it is not easy to get the job you prefer and is often down to luck if you keep the job for the day.
The pay is also not great. I would not have an issue with this as I am aware most subs are not paid a lot. My main issue is that the website I applied to lied about the pay rate. I got paid less than what was listed. I personally find this very scummy, deceiving you with a higher pay just to gain more subs in a district that is lacking. I am aware that most people who sub are retired teachers, but a lot of us are college students or adults looking into teaching. I just think the pay should reflect that.

Overall, ESS is an okay place to start or to retire with. The benefits alone make the experience worth it. Plus, you can meet teachers and build a network of colleagues and mentors! I just do not believe that company is doing the most for its workers. I think they really need to fix the infrastructure of the website and be more coherent with their employees.

ESS merely gives you a system to find jobs as a substitute teacher and is the administrative employer.  HR Service Group LLC pays you.  

99% of the work experience is with the schools you sub for.  Take it seriously, and you'll find a school that will want you back again and again.  My suggestion is to find a school you like, and stay there.  If the office staff like you and find you dependable, they can just schedule you without the need to get up early and hunt for open jobs.  Again, very flexible hours as you schedule yourself.  

However, you need a level of patience and awareness to avoid trouble.  Kids WILL push your buttons and test your limits, and if you can't handle that properly, you will quickly find yourself blacklisted from a school district.

ESS provides a system for schools to get subs quickly, however, schools are not forced to give you all the details about a particular job.    You may show up to a job to find out you're needed elsewhere, or that it's a special needs class that you are not equipped/trained to care for.

Pay is per diem and determined by the school districts.  The pay is not the greatest, considering more places are starting to offer $15/hr for much less stress.  There are no raises, a day off means no pay. 

Covering long terms assignments long term usually pays a higher rate, and is great work experience, but expect there to be days where grading, planning, communicating with parents/administration will keep you working 2-6 hours a day longer than normal subbing.  Schools in NJ tend to offer an additional $5-10 a day after 20 consecutive school days of long term subbing.  

ESS communicates with you very infrequently.  Emails to resolve issues can sometimes take 2-3 weeks, sometimes months to get a response.  Needing to call might require you to take a day off work to get through.

Overall, I'd say the experience can be very love/hate.  I personally love the school I work at, the people there.  However, this is best as a job to get experience and supplement pay, rather than depend on it.





Working at ESS turned out to be a perplexing and frustrating experience that left me questioning the company's respect for its employees' time and well-being. In what should have been a productive work environment, I found myself subjected to mind-numbing monotony and unnecessary restrictions that bordered on absurdity.

My role at ESS primarily involved watching a printer churn out documents for eight excruciating hours each day. While I understand the importance of monitoring equipment, being confined to such a mundane task with no opportunity for variation or intellectual stimulation quickly took its toll. What compounded this issue was the company's rigid policy of not allowing employees to leave the office until the end of their shift, regardless of whether they had completed their assigned duties or not.

To make matters worse, despite being physically present in the office, there was often a glaring absence of actual work to be done. Rather than utilizing my skills and expertise, I was left idle, forced to occupy myself by staring at the wall for hours on end. Any attempts to fill this void with personal activities, such as using my phone, were met with reprimands from management, further exacerbating the sense of frustration and powerlessness.

The lack of consideration for employees' time and the refusal to provide meaningful tasks paints a concerning picture of ESS's management practices. It raises questions about the company's commitment to fostering a positive work environment and nurturing the professional development of its staff. Instead of investing in their employees' growth and well-being, it appears that ESS prioritizes maintaining control and adherence to arbitrary rules, even at the expense of morale and productivity.

In conclusion, my experience at ESS was deeply disappointing and disheartening. I had hoped to contribute meaningfully to the company and advance my career, but instead, I found myself trapped in a cycle of tedium and frustration. Unless significant changes are made to improve working conditions and respect for employees' time, I cannot in good conscience recommend ESS as an employer.

Management didn't really interact but via mass emails, which is nice, but there's nobody to give you feedback on how you're doing unless you get a co-teacher or you take an assistant job. You don't exactly need that feedback, since all you really have to do is keep the students safe, out of trouble, and as on-task as you can; but you're entirely on your own how to actually accomplish that in action. They give a decent sort of training before you start nailing the important points and giving the principles of how to effectively run a classroom (and also a resource portal with more guides), but again, actual practice is a whole other beast.

Basically, if you have school teaching experience, or other experience such that you know you can keep control of kids, this will be a slightly stressful but easy job with easy hours. But if you don't have that experience, well, it's a great way to find out if you want to be a teacher; kids are kids, but today's kids whose education is facilitated almost entirely through electronics and the internet...something else entirely. But it really is a good segue into teaching; you can very easily get a long-term sub gig (because all the teachers are quitting), get in good with administration, and learn a lot. It's just tough if you're a more calm, subdued, or awkward person; as the kids are going to ignore you and push limits as far as you don't punish (which you can only really do by calling the office; they know you're pretty powerless and will gauge how much of a pushover you are very quickly).

And the pay is...liveable if you budget well and are a single person with a cheap apartment. I've seen worse pay in my area for much harder work.

Overall, it's a decent place to work and the pay is good if you have a teaching degree and are in a good school with supportive administration, like I am.  That said, the health benefits are AWFUL and I have yet to find a doctor near my home who will take my obscure, unknown health insurance (I live in UPMC vs. Highmark land), so if you can, get on your spouse's or partner's insurance.  In some schools, you do have the inside information on potential contract jobs within the unit or district. 

On a side note PCAs are EXTREMELY underpaid for what they have to put up with (student behaviors, changing student's soiled diapers, etc.) and their turnover rate is ridiculous.  If they paid their PCAs better, they would probably have higher quality employees with less turnover.

ESS management is not typically on location at the schools, so you have to email or call them to get any questions or concerns addressed.  It's always a gamble whether or not they will actually respond to you. 

Additionally, they pay per diem at the school level with no sick, PTO, or vacation time, so if you don't work due to being sick, for personal reasons, or because of a holiday, you don't get paid.  However, you do qualify for unemployment during longer periods of time off such as summer break (at least in PA you do). There is also no room for advancement or promotion when employed at the school level.  The plus side is that you do have the inside track on job openings in the district / unit.  If a job opens up, you are often given the priority in the application process (behind the actual contracted teachers).

This is basically a job that gets you a paycheck and experience until you get a contract with a district or a better job.  It's not a long-term place to work when you're at the school level.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Substitute teacher 23 salaries reported	$19.43 per hour
Account manager 6 salaries reported	$58,750 per year
Paraprofessional 1 salary reported	$177 per day
Special education teacher 2 salaries reported	$148 per day
Recruiter 2 salaries reported	$43,888 per year

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