A Roving Sub request is for when schools anticipate a teacher's absence but don’t know exactly which teacher will be out.  For example, we know that the Friday before a holiday weekend has more teacher absences than a regular Friday, so this is a great time to utilize a Roving Sub Request to be prepared for that absence. Here's a video explaining more

You can select a school site you anticipate the absence for or select the District Office for the request.  If you select the District Office, admins can edit the request for the school site when an absence becomes known.  This is the only kind of request that school admins can edit the school site without Swing Support's help. 

How Do I Issue A Swing Sub Request?

Select “Roving Sub” from the drop-down menu and issue the request.  See the screenshot here:

On the day of the request, communicate directly with the sub of the school site they should arrive at and the role they will be completing. You can find the sub's contact info on their profile by clicking on the name listed on the request.  You can call, text, or email the sub any information they should know ahead of time.  Be sure to edit the request and add these details in the teacher field, insert grade level and subject.  If any assistance from Support is needed to make these edits be sure to reach out - support@swingeducation.com

Why is a Roving Sub Request Useful?

Schools face challenges finding substitute teachers on short notice, with the national average fill rate for last-minute requests being 48%. Roving requests aim to address this issue by increasing fill rates and providing more notice to substitute teachers.

By issuing roving requests earlier and using limited details initially, schools can improve coverage and find the best fit for their classrooms. 

• Roving requests are more effective than last-minute requests
• Almost double the fill rate of last-minute requests
• Substitutes prefer to accept work in advance to plan their week
• Roving requests are issued for a specific school
• Teacher, subject, and grade details are updated on the morning of the assignment
• Flexibility allows the school to place the substitute in any classroom
• Substitutes who accept roving requests must be flexible with day-of assignment details
• Only subs willing to work in an ambiguous assignment accept the request

Please reach out to Swing Support for further questions and assistance.