Red Rover Announces Lineup for 2024 Substitute Management Symposium Featuring Dr. Joe Sanfelippo as Keynote Speaker


EXTON, Pa., Nov. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red Rover, a leading provider of modern time tracking, absence management, and substitute management solutions and support for K–12 HR leaders, announced today the lineup for their 2024 Substitute Management Symposium (SMS) to be held January 30, 2024. “We are thrilled that Dr. Joe Sanfelippo will kick off this year’s SMS as keynote speaker,” said Daniel O'Shaughnessy, Co-founder and CEO of Red Rover. “His leadership as a superintendent has been transformative and we’re excited to have him bring his insights, experience, and energy to this year’s SMS. Attendees will not only get inspired to lead change in their own districts but come away with practical next steps to get started.”

Dr. Sanfelippo, Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District (WI) and author of multiple books including the best-selling Hacking Leadership, has a unique perspective on the field of substitute teaching. Like most districts in the U.S., Fall Creek has been dealing with unprecedented teacher shortages and increases in full-time teacher absences due to the demands and pressures of the profession. In September 2023, approximately 52,000 teachers and other educational staff quit their jobs (Statista Research Department). According to Dr. Sanfelippo, “Having a pool of high-quality substitute teachers that we can rely on is vital to keeping our schools running smoothly and ensuring our students receive the best education possible. It’s critical that we think differently about the role of substitute teachers and how we support them. SMS will be a great opportunity for K–12 administrators to learn and collaborate about new approaches to substitute management.”

The one-day virtual event will offer participants many thought-provoking and informative sessions focused on effective substitute teacher management practices. Sessions will be led by more than 15 leading district substitute managers and HR leaders including Emily Douglas-McNab, Co-Founder and Chief of the Experience Management Institute, and Kelly Coash-Johnson, Executive Director for the American Association of School Personnel Administrators.

This year’s program for the SMS has been shaped with input from the Substitute Management Advisory Council. This pioneering council was established by Red Rover earlier in 2023 in direct response to feedback from participants of the 2023 SMS who saw a need for additional leadership to guide and advance the Substitute Management profession. The Advisory Council is comprised of a select group of HR professionals from districts across the country. In addition to their important role in the 2024 SMS, the Council has the privilege of electing the coveted Substitute Manager of the Year, which will be awarded during the 2024 symposium.

Registration for SMS is now open. Registration is free until December 19, 2024 — a $120 value. Early bird registrants will receive a free lunch and a t-shirt from Red Rover. The virtual event will be held on January 30, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST. To learn more and sign up, visit redroverk12.com/substitute-management-symposium.

About Red Rover
Red Rover delivers a modern, intuitive employee absence and time tracking solution to simplify the lives of K–12 HR Directors. As the fastest-growing absence management solution, Red Rover supports more than 900 districts to provide the best educators in every classroom, every day. Red Rover is headquartered in Exton, PA. Learn more at redroverk12.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or X.

Press Contact

Leah Blakeley
lblakeley@redroverk12.com