Making a Difference: Our Substitute Educators

This Substitute Educators Day, we’re shining a spotlight on the incredible substitutes who step in, adapt and make a difference every single day for students and staff in Richfield Public Schools - and schools everywhere! Their flexibility, dedication and ability to create connections ensure continuity and success in our schools. 

In RPS, we have a list of on-call substitutes who fill in at each of our schools as needed. We also employ premier substitutes as full-time employees, who work in our schools in a variety of roles each day that school is in session. We asked our premier subs to tell us about their experience working in RPS. Here’s what three of them had to say: 

Lissette Miguel
Lissette values building relationships with staff, students and families, while also connecting with the community. “I like working in RPS because I went to RPS as a student since kindergarten,” said Lissette. “As a student, I enjoyed school very much due to having amazing teachers; now I have the opportunity to be a reason why students can enjoy school too.” Lissette works at the Central Education Center and is grateful for the warm welcome she’s received from her new team since taking on this role.

Kelly Gerde
Kelly loves being a building substitute because it allows her to feel like part of the school family at Centennial. Over her three years in this role, she’s enjoyed connecting with students and receiving support from coworkers. As a resident of Richfield and a parent of RPS students, Kelly appreciates working close to home and the variety of opportunities within the district.

Nancy Olson
Nancy cherishes making connections with staff, students and their families. Having grown up in Richfield attending RPS, she finds it meaningful to work in the district where her children also graduated in 2020 and 2022. Nancy loves the diversity at Richfield, both in the jobs she performs and the people and children she works with. “My colleagues are AMAZING, and make all the difference in how I feel about my job,” she said.

A Typical Day 

For substitute educators, no two days are the same. A typical day means being ready for anything—from cutting out construction paper for table activities to leading a classroom. “Due to being in many classrooms, I have the gift of being able to adapt to different classroom environments, different teaching styles, different groups of students and different routines,” explained Lissette. “If you like doing something different every day, then this job is perfect.”

Often, our premier subs don’t know their role until arriving at school. They might spend the day in one classroom, juggle multiple roles, or even step in at another building. As full-time team members, they’re always ready to lend a hand wherever needed, ensuring students continue to thrive no matter what the day brings. “Each day is filled with adventure,” said Nancy.

“Being a building sub can feel like being new every day,” explained Kelly. “I think people are surprised when they hear that we are full-time and come to work no matter what, and there is always a place to help, no matter who might be gone that day.” 

Thank you, Kelly, Nancy, Lissette and all of our substitute educators, for your commitment to supporting Richfield schools! You are an essential part of our students’ success, and we’re so grateful for all you do.