A half-million dollar cutback in state aid to Lewiston Public Schools has presented some difficult challenges this year, but also brought some new blood into the classrooms.

In November, after Lewiston lost approximately $544,000 in state subsidy, school leaders reviewed the budget to make the necessary adjustment. Every budget line was reviewed and every effort was made to have the impact on student programs and services minimized.

One of the areas reviewed was the cost of replacing teachers when they were absent from the classroom. A new strategy introduced, to cut back on this cost, was to ask school administrative staff, city administrative staff and city councilors to volunteer to substitute teach two days per month through the end of the school year. This volunteer time would be done in addition to doing their regular job. Some 75 people stepped up to be substitute teachers.

Volunteers provided dates when they would be available and identified what grade levels or subjects they preferred to teach. The school department conducted two informational meetings for the volunteers to help them learn more about substituting and to help them prepare for the classroom experience.

That preparation was important for Lewiston Fire Chief Paul Leclair.

“My first reaction to filling in as a substitute teacher was ‘Would I be prepared?’ Fortunately for city department heads like myself, the school department staff and teachers provided lesson plans and great direction,” said Leclair. “Teachers who were in school the day I substituted (for Erica Beaule, social studies) all offered their assistance and made me feel welcome.”

Leclair said the students were curious as to why the fire chief was subbing.

“However, after a brief explanation of my presence in the classroom and my assurance I would not upset their daily routine, the class time flew by,” he said.

Denis Jean, director of human resources, said his experience as a sub at a business class at Lewiston Regional Technical Center was not what he expected.

‘It was a unique opportunity to see today’s young adults among their peers, and I couldn’t have been more impressed,” he said. “What I expected was chaos, fighting and general unruliness. My particular class was not ordinary subbing, it was an advanced computer lab class made up of self-directed teens who seem truly interested in what they were doing. So what I found was orderliness, and happy teenagers who seem to take school seriously.”

Jackie Little, school department benefits specialist, thought the experience “would give me the opportunity to experience the reality of the classroom and help me better understand the joys and challenges of teaching.”

Little was a kindergarten substitute teacher whose first day in the classroom “has been forever etched in my memory. I vividly remember moments of victory, frustration, expectation, comedy and exhaustion.

“There are several ‘life lessons’ I learned from my experience in kindergarten that day.

Victory is when a student needing special help managed to identify the color green.

Frustration is when you are suddenly surrounded by 10 children with questions. How do I prioritize and give each the individual attention he or she deserves? The demands of life are great and we always need to prioritize and refocus on what is the most valuable to us.

Comedy is being called Mrs. Small instead of Mrs. Little (at least it wasn’t Mrs. Large!). We must first learn to laugh at ourselves. Exhaustion is when the bell rings and you collapse on the floor and wonder, Did I make a difference today?'”

In addition to helping to cut costs, the volunteers have gained a greater appreciation for the work of a classroom teacher. And students have benefited to have people like City Administrator James Bennett, Police Chief William E Welch, Mayor Laurent Gilbert, Superintendent of Schools Leon Levesque, principals and city councilors as their teachers.

“I think it was a great idea for school administrators and city department heads to pitch in,” said Leclair. “I am certain we all want to contribute in any way we can to get the school department, the city and the community through these tough times.”