Swing Education

"I love my school where I teach! I have the freedom to teach the content I want, and I am supported by my school's leader. However, times can get tough, teaching isn't always easy, and there are many times when I am thrown into a classroom and have to maintain peace. That being said, it is a part of the job, and the best part is, if you don't vibe well with the school, go to another one, but try your best each time so you can find a school that fits you!"

"I began my journey of becoming a substitute teacher on Sept 21, 2023 and I am still not allowed to accept opportunities as a sub as of today, Oct 17, 2023. I like the website and have no complaints there in terms of design and ease of use. The instructions were very clear and helpful; easy to follow. My frustration comes down to one major component; transparency. I found out about this company on indeed. Nowhere on the job listing or even on the first sign up page and instructions did it list all the steps it was going to take in order to become a substitute teacher; you figure this out as you go along. The process is sort of like 3 to 4 "phases" and each phase has 2 to 4 steps. In between each "phase" you are waiting for swing education to review and get back to you with instructions for the next "phase". Again, no transparency on this process. A suggestion would be to be upfront about this process in the form of a map or timeline so applicants can know what to expect. Nowhere on the job listing or even on the first sign up page and initial instructions did it what it was going to COST to become a substitute teacher; you figure this out as you go along as well. In the state of Illinois, SO FAR, It's about $200. It could be more because I still haven't completed the sign on process. Prices may vary. The application fee ($51.13) Ordering official college transcripts ($14.45) Register your license ($61.35) and background check (<$65). We all know the saying, "You gotta spend money to make money" but I found this opportunity at a time where my finances were tight and not really looking to invest, but trying to get into the workforce as quickly and easily as possible. This company and job title is not that. So far it has proven slow, and difficult and frustrating. A suggestion would be to be transparent about the cost so that applicants understand what they are getting into. Last, but certainly not least, my biggest frustration in working with this company is learning at almost 30 days into the process that a COVID Vaccine is REQUIRED in order to work for them. I feel deceived and like I wasted time and money trying to become a substitute teacher. It is 2023. This feels illegal. I get it, they don't make the laws, but be upfront. This feels like discrimination as well. Similar to discrimination with race, gender, disability, etc. I suggest they update their policy on this, or like I have been saying, the recruitment team needs to add this to their ads and sign up page. It would have saved me the trouble. I do not have the COVID vaccine because of a sincerely held religious belief. They let you fill out paperwork and submit proof for religion and medical disability but this means more time submitting forms (which you need to print out. lots of printing in this process). So again, wasting time and money. And how do you submit proof for religious belief? I need to get my church involved in this? Just nonsense. I contacted their support on October 11th, letting them know my concerns, my feedback, and requesting next steps and all of that, and I got a response today October 17th, SIX DAYS LATER. This whole experience was just awful. I would not recommend it unless you had time to wait, money to play with, and the COVID Vaccine, then this will be great for you. The main purpose for me putting up this review is to protect the applicants like me who are trying to get into something meaningful but every dollar and minute is precious. I want my experience with this company to be the last experience like this. I want you to go into this knowing what to expect. Things are still in the air, I'm not sure where my future with this company is going, but I know I stand by this review because it is honest and I hope that Swing Education can update the way they do business."