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Substitute Teacher Staffing for New York Schools
Senya is trusted across the state for providing reliable substitute coverage!
Do you dread those early-morning messages when teachers have an emergency absence? Tired of scrambling to text and call your sub list, hoping to get coverage? Are teachers getting frustrated when they lose prep time or classroom aides because there wasn't a substitute available?
New York schools continue to face staffing shortages, with one of the largest districts in the state "calling on parents, caregivers, retirees, and community members to step up to support students" because of the many vacant positions (WHAM, ABC News, August 2026). Add staff absences on top of vacant positions, and it can be difficult to keep continuity for students.
Senya is a proven solution for substitute needs.
How Senya Works for New York Schools
Set your own pay rate—we'll facilitate those payments to substitutes.
Qualified subs at the ready—we handle recruiting, screening, and preparedness.
Post a substitute request in seconds—use for daily, emergency, and long-term needs.
Fast coverage—substitutes get instant alerts and accept to cover your request.
Subs arrive prepared—upload lesson plans and instructions live in the platform, so subs walk in ready.
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New York Compliance Handled
✅ All substitutes undergo a state and FBI fingerprint background check during the onboarding process, receiving their clearance through the NYSED TEACH system.
✅ Schools can require substitutes to have a certain education level or certification.
✅ All substitutes review a large, thorough set of policies and best practices for working in schools, including state-required topics such as FERPA, sexual harassment, bullying prevention, school safety, mandatory reporting, and bloodborne pathogens, as well as important teaching skills such as classroom management, behavior de-escalation, special education strategies, growth mindset, student engagement, and more.
✅ Every substitute on the Senya platform is verified for meeting all state requirements before they can begin providing coverage.
Local Coverage
We support schools across many areas in New York!
- Rochester
- Buffalo
- Syracuse
- Albany
- Utica
- New York City
- Brookyn
- Manhattan
- Yonkers
- Bronx
- Mt. Vernon
- Poughkeepsie
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Help for New York School Leaders
Coverage you can count on—daily, emergency, and long-term needs covered through our trusted pool of substitutes.
Goodbye staff burnout—teachers keep their prep, aides can support students, and staff can take leave without worry.
Time back—no more early morning calls, emails, and texts to scramble for coverage.
Visibility—track substitute coverage and performance in one easy dashboard.
Real support—a friendly customer service team of real people who are right there, ready to help with any needs.
Testimonials
"The principals LOVE the service, and it has streamlined our processes in so many ways. I point to its implementation as one of the best decisions I've made since joining Ball Charter Schools."
- Dr. Gregory McFann, Senior Director of Academics and Administration
Ball Charter Schools, Customer since August 2023
"I like that I can use the app at home, like if I have to do things on the weekend, or if I’m not at my desk, I can still use it to get substitutes."
- Kathy Davis, Front Office Secretary
Providence Hall Elementary, Customer since January 2023
"I love how quickly sub needs can be filled. They are always filled very quickly. I can post something at 7 AM and they are already all filled and ready to go by 8!"
-Austin Congleton, Middle School Principal
The Delta Academy, Customer since December 2024
Simple, Transparent Pricing
We keep it simple: You set the substitute pay rate; we have a flat fee. That's it.
No startup, annual, per user, or cancellation fees. You only pay when you get substitute coverage.
We send detailed invoices for review and facilitate substitute pay, so you can focus on supporting staff and students!
FAQs
Is our school locked in a contract for a certain time period?
No. There is no length commitment and no exclusivity provisions in the School Agreement with Senya.
Are we allowed to directly hire a substitute from Senya?
Yes! It's great when schools find a substitute who is a good fit for a permanent position. There is a very low permanent hire fee, which can be found on the School Agreement.
How many users can the school add to the platform? Is there a cost per user?
You can add unlimited school campuses and school users (e.g., teachers, administrators) for no cost. You only pay when substitutes fill requests.
Who sets the pay rate?
Schools set their own pay rates for substitute requests. Most schools have a set rate for full-day, half-day, long-term, and hourly requests.
Who pays the substitute teachers?
Schools set the pay rate, and Senya facilitates those payments to substitutes. Everything is detailed on one invoice per week, making it simple to review and approve. We handle the rest!
Who can post a sub request at our school site?
Schools can set up posting in whatever way fits best with their absence management procedures. Some schools have teachers post sub requests on Senya; other schools have a coordinator or other administrative staff member post the sub requests.
Where can I view the status of substitute requests?
We have a dashboard that makes it easy to filter and view upcoming, pending, accepted, completed, canceled, and unfilled requests. At a glance, you can see which substitutes are coming that day and week, see which requests are still awaiting coverage, track fill rates, review completed requests, and more!
What happens when a substitute cancels a request that they accepted?
Substitutes must cancel requests more than 24 hours before the start time to avoid losing eligibility for bonus money from Senya's bonus programs. If a substitute cancels, the request immediately becomes available again for other substitutes to view and accept.
How does Senya prepare substitutes for working with schools and students?
Through Senya's onboarding process, we verify that candidates meet all state requirements, such as fingerprint-based background checks and any required certifications. Additionally, all candidates meet with a Senya representative to discuss their background and experience as part of Senya's consideration to offer a contract.
All substitutes review a large, thorough set of policies and best practices for working in schools, including state-required topics such as FERPA, sexual harassment, bullying prevention, school safety, mandatory reporting, and bloodborne pathogens, as well as important teaching skills such as classroom management, behavior de-escalation, special education strategies, growth mindset, student engagement, and more.
How does Senya retain substitutes?
Senya has a great record of retaining substitutes because of our amazing partner schools, user-friendly app, and unmatched customer support team. In addition, Senya's Tier Bonus Program incentivizes and rewards substitutes for receiving high ratings from schools and for working more each month. Substitutes can earn bonus pay for every job when they meet the program benchmarks. Schools are not charged any additional money; Senya simply gives back to our hard-working substitutes, and this encourages them to continue filling sub requests. Senya also offers bonus pay for those last-minute, difficult-to-fill requests, which benefits both schools and substitutes.
We love a substitute and want him/her to return for future requests. What do we do?
Fantastic! Go to the Substitutes tab, search for the substitute by name, and click the heart icon or favorite button to add the sub to your Favorite list. When you post requests, you can click the box near the bottom to send them to your Favorite list.
We do not want a specific substitute to return to our school. What do we do?
If a substitute is not a good fit for your school for any reason, go to the Substitutes tab, search for the substitute by name, and click the circle-backslash icon or block button to add the sub to your Blocked list. When you post requests, they will no longer be visible to any subs on your Blocked list. For serious issues regarding a substitute's conduct, please contact the Senya Customer Service team.
Ready for Senya Support?
Senya is trusted across the state for providing reliable substitute coverage!
If you're ready to take substitute coverage off your plate, request a demo to learn how we can support your specific needs.
Request a Demo
Are you a substitute teacher interested in supporting local schools? Click here to learn more about how to get started with Senya!
