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Parents Wanting To Fill Substitute Teacher Shortage Flood Elk Grove School District

ELK GROVE (CBS13) — The Elk Grove Unified School District says it has been inundated with applications from parents aspiring to fill the district's substitute teacher shortage.

The hundreds of applicants stretch beyond just the parents targeted in 50,000 letters sent by the district.

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Marcus Turner was already in the process of becoming a substitute teacher, including passing a required exam and picking up all the forms. But once he heard the Elk Grove district was hiring, he submitted the application faster than he did his college application.

"Now since I see they have a big need for it, I know automatically I'll get it," he said.

But he has stiff competition with a lot of qualified parents.

"Several years back, I gave up the suitcase to to come back home and be with my kids. I also wanted to keep on working," said Elk Grove schools spokeswoman Xanthi Pinkerton.

She's a parent-turned-teacher. The district recently gave thousands of parents like her the chance to apply to become substitutes. Only about 100 will make the cut, but the district is making it easy.

Once the credentials and background checks are out of the way, the process could take as little as two weeks to a month.

Turner hopes to hear back any day now.

"I've got some letters," he said. "Hopefully that'll help me out."

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