Do teachers qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits during summer break?

Teachers and substitutes can apply for Washington ESD unemployment but there are special rules. If you have reasonable assurance of returning to work in the fall, you might be denied. It depends on your specific situation and employment contract.

I'm a teacher and tried this last summer. Got denied because of the reasonable assurance rule even though my position wasn't guaranteed. Washington ESD said since I worked at the same school the year before, they expected me back.

The teacher unemployment thing is so confusing. I spent hours on hold trying to get through to Washington ESD to ask about my situation. Finally used Claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent who explained the reasonable assurance rules. Way easier than calling directly - they have this demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Substitute teachers have different rules than regular teachers. Since you don't have a contract, you might qualify if you meet the other requirements. You need to have earned enough wages during your base period and be able and available for work.

ugh why does everything with unemployment have to be so complicated?? just want to know if i can get benefits over summer break

I've been a para-educator for 3 years and never knew about this reasonable assurance thing until I got denied for summer unemployment. Nobody at the school district warned me about it when I was hired.

The key thing to understand is that Washington ESD has to follow federal rules about school employee unemployment. Even if the state wanted to be more generous, federal law restricts benefits for educational employees between terms.

Update: I applied anyway and included documentation showing I don't have guaranteed work next year. Figure it's worth trying even if I get denied initially.

My sister is a teacher in another district and she got summer unemployment last year because her position got cut. So it's definitely possible in some situations.

been trying to call washington esd about this exact question for my teacher claim and cannot get through!!! phone system is awful

For substitute teachers specifically, Washington ESD looks at factors like: whether you worked for the same districts consistently, if they indicated you'd be called back, your work pattern from previous years, and any communications about future work availability.

wait so if you work summer school you definitely can't get unemployment right?

I'm a counselor at a high school and got unemployment approved for summer because my position is only during the academic year. The key was showing my contract explicitly ended in June with no guarantee of renewal.

honestly the whole reasonable assurance thing seems designed to screw over education workers who already get paid way too little

Final update: Got my determination letter and was approved! Apparently working for multiple districts as a sub with no written agreements helped my case. Thanks everyone for the advice.

Congrats Jackson! Your success story gives me hope. I'm in a similar situation as a substitute teacher working across multiple districts with no formal contracts for next year. Planning to apply for benefits and use your case as guidance. It's really helpful to see that Washington ESD does approve these claims when the circumstances are right - just need to document everything clearly and show there's no reasonable assurance of returning to work.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also a substitute teacher and was worried about applying for unemployment this summer. Reading about Jackson's success and all the detailed explanations about reasonable assurance really clarified things for me. It sounds like the key factors are: no written contracts, working for multiple districts, and documenting that there's no guarantee of work next year. I'm going to gather all my employment records and apply. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so much better than trying to figure this out alone!

As someone who's been navigating the Washington ESD system for years, I wanted to add that timing can really matter with these applications. If you're applying as a substitute teacher, try to submit your claim as soon as possible after your last day of work. The longer you wait, the more likely ESD might assume you're not actively seeking work or that you have some informal understanding about returning. Also, when you're filling out the application, be very specific about your employment status - don't just say "substitute teacher" but explain that you worked for multiple districts without guaranteed future employment. The clearer you are upfront, the smoother the process usually goes.

As a new member here, I just want to say how incredibly valuable this discussion has been! I'm also a substitute teacher in Washington and was completely in the dark about the reasonable assurance rules until reading through all these comments. It's really encouraging to see Jackson's success story and all the detailed advice from experienced members. I'm planning to apply for benefits this week and will definitely follow the guidance about documenting everything, being specific about working for multiple districts, and applying promptly. It's amazing how much clearer the process becomes when you have real experiences to learn from rather than trying to decode the official ESD website alone. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - both the successes and the frustrations!