Does reasonable assurance for substitute teaching affect ESD benefits after working a contract job?

You're in what's called a "trailing employer" situation. Even though the temp agency was your most recent employer, ESD has to verify separation from ALL employers during your base year. The school district issue is getting flagged because of the reasonable assurance question. Here's what you need to know: If you voluntarily left the substitute position to take the temp job, you need to prove it was for "good cause" (career advancement qualifies). Also, since you worked a non-educational job after leaving the school district, the reasonable assurance rules shouldn't disqualify you entirely - they're just verifying. I'd recommend uploading a letter explaining that you left substituting to pursue full-time work and then worked at the temp position. Include dates for everything and mention you have no reasonable assurance of returning to substitute teaching.

i had something kinda similar happen. my claim got stuck for like 5 weeks becuz i had two jobs last yr. the ESD system is confusing AF and they nvr explain anything clear. they just put ur claim in limbo and expect u to figure it out

I've seen this exact issue several times with educator claims. What's happening is your claim is likely being reviewed under WAC 192-210-015, which covers educational employees. However, since you had a non-school employer after leaving the substitute position, you should be eligible based on that later employment. The adjudicator needs to determine: 1. Whether you had reasonable assurance with the school district (which you likely don't since you weren't seeking to return) 2. Whether your separation from the temp agency was qualifying Make sure you've clearly documented that you weren't seeking to return to the school district for the next academic year. The fact that you went to work elsewhere is strong evidence of this. One quick tip - have you tried using Claimyr to get through to ESD? I was stuck in adjudication for weeks until I used their service at claimyr.com. They basically connect you directly to an ESD agent without the endless wait times. Their video shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. I was skeptical at first but got through to someone who cleared up my issue in one call.

I'm shocked no one has mentioned this yet, but you should check if you have a SCHOOL DENIAL on your claim! Happened to me last year after subbing. Even though I didn't want to return to teaching, ESD automatically denied my claim with a "school employee between academic terms" code. Had to appeal it and PROVE I wasn't returning to education. Such a hassle! Also - the reasonable assurance thing is a HUGE problem for subs and other school employees. The schools often tell ESD everyone has "reasonable assurance" even when they don't! It's their way of avoiding unemployment claims. You need to be super clear that you HAVE NO INTENTION of returning to substitute teaching. Good luck with the bureaucratic nightmare!

Hey there, I went through almost the exact same situation in 2023. I subbed, then got a job at a tutoring center that ended, then filed for unemployment. My claim was stuck for almost 6 weeks because of the school district issue. What finally worked was calling ESD (which took FOREVER to get through) and explaining that I had no intention of returning to substitute teaching and had moved on to other employment. They eventually removed the school district hold and processed my claim based on the tutoring center employment. The key thing they wanted to know was whether I was seeking to return to substitute teaching for the next school year - I wasn't, and it sounds like you aren't either. Make that SUPER clear in any documentation you provide. Also, keep filing your weekly claims while this is being sorted out! Once approved, you'll get backpay for all the weeks you properly filed.

ok ive worked for esd before and heres what u need to know - REASONABLE ASSURANCE only matters if ur trying to get benefits BETWEEN SCHOOL YEARS or during scheduled breaks. if u left substituting completely and worked somewhere else after, then reasonable assurance shouldnt matter at all!!! the adjudicator probably just doesnt understand ur work history correctly. upload a timeline showing when u left subbing, when u started the temp job, when it ended, etc. be SUPER SPECIFIC with dates!!!!!

my sister works for a school and she says this happens all the time. the school districts automatically report ALL subs as having reasonable assurance even if they haven't worked in months lol. its totally wrong but ESD just takes their word for it

I think everyone is making this more complicated than it needs to be. Just call ESD and explain your situation! They'll clear it right up.

Update: Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I created a detailed timeline document showing when I left substituting, when I started and ended the temp position, and making it crystal clear I have no intention of returning to substitute teaching. I uploaded it to my ESD account yesterday. I also tried calling using the Claimyr service that someone mentioned, and I actually got through to a real person! The agent confirmed that my claim was flagged for the reasonable assurance issue but said since I had subsequent non-school employment, they should be able to process my claim. They added notes to my file and said an adjudicator would review everything within 7-10 business days. Fingers crossed this gets resolved soon. I'll update again when I hear something!

That's awesome that you got through to someone! I've been dealing with a similar school employment issue for weeks and haven't been able to reach anyone at ESD. Can you share more details about how the Claimyr service worked? I'm desperate to get my claim moving but worried about giving my info to a third party. Did they ask for your SSN or anything sensitive? Also, the timeline document is such a good idea - I'm going to create one for my situation too. Hopefully your adjudicator review goes smoothly and you get your benefits soon!

I'm dealing with something really similar right now! I was a substitute teacher until February, then worked at a retail job through a staffing agency until it ended last month. Filed for unemployment and my claim has been stuck for 3 weeks with the same "separation from school district" issue even though that wasn't my most recent job. Reading through all these responses is so helpful - I had no idea schools could report reasonable assurance even when you're not planning to return. That's probably exactly what happened in my case too since I explicitly told them I wouldn't be coming back next year. The timeline document idea is genius, I'm definitely doing that. And hearing that Claimyr actually works gives me hope - I've been calling ESD for days with no luck. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare!