Good to jump right into teaching, but no basically no support - K-12 Substitute Teacher ESS Employee Review

2.0
18 Jan 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-You can quickly get a k-12 emergency cert. -You can get public school teaching experience.

Cons

-The organization's "training" is a joke. It was half as long as it should've been. There was no practical preparation for the classroom. -the pay and benefits are bad for the amount of work you're expected to do. You're not compensated for transportation, so there's no incentive to take jobs farther away--especially if they are half day. -the incentive programs are...well...insulting. Pay employees more instead of the (and I'm not making this up) doing raffles for gift cards and other junk. -The rate for instructional assistants is insulting and hasn't even been adjusted for recent cost of living increases. Even if you took every fulltime IA job you would not make enough to be able to afford the cost of living in or near the city, which is why you tend to see retirees filling those roles. -I still can't figure out what most of the administration is doing this they're pretty much MIA after you get certified and just send out batch notifications that you could get directly from the district anyway -You do not get internet access as a sub except for a few select schools that may or may not have a spare computer for you. Many of the older buildings are deadzones in most areas, so pray your phone can get a signal if you need to look something up or be flexible with the lesson. -The ID they give you does nothing. It has a barcode, but does open doors or anything. School security will usually ask you for a DL anyway so it actually is functionally useless -They have a referral program ($100). I expect this kind of thing from MLMs and wireless companies, not an agency charged with hiring competent educators. -They only offer a STEM cert. program so good luck if that's not your area of expertise for teaching. In my experience, my students were having the most trouble with reading comprehension and writing, so you'd think there'd be some interest there, but no. -The software company they contract with (Frontline) creates half-broken apps and websites with bad UX. Their support is useless and they have an office building with no phone-number listed. They also juice their Google Reviews with fake ones or employee reviews. Incredibly sketchy stuff.

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ESS Response
2y
We’re sorry to hear that you were not completely satisfied with your experience while employed with us. We are constantly working to make improvements to better our company whenever possible. Thanks for taking the time to give us your feedback.

Explore other reviews about ESS

5.0
22 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Pick your own schedule and flexible

Cons

Work less need more time making money

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ESS Response
2d
We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to give us your review!
4.0
17 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The corporate support and recruitment team are excellent; they are professional and highly responsive. The onboarding and training process was comprehensive and genuinely prepared me for the realities of substitute teaching. The role offers a great deal of flexibility, opportunities to engage with the local population, and a clear pipeline for those seeking long-term subbing positions or a path toward a full-time teaching career. It is an excellent environment for networking within the education sector.

Cons

The day-to-day experience is heavily dependent on the specific district and school culture, which can vary significantly. Some districts provide free lunch, others don’t. Unfortunately, there is often a lack of respect at the school level; substitute staff are sometimes treated as expendable rather than as valued members of the team. There is a lack of job security, as pre-booked assignments are frequently canceled on short notice to accommodate other preferred substitutes. Subs have to work 4 days a month and it’s hard to meet when people are constantly being dropped from jobs. Additionally, the compensation is extremely low, and the benefits package is insufficient, making it difficult to rely on this position as a primary source of income.

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