Before Maureen Ritchie worked for the high school, she was a salesperson for Johnson and Johnson. Before Jeffrey Plum became a substitute teacher, he was a sports journalist for three high schools. Before Catherine Schwartz was part of ELHS’ team, she flew military jets. Most of the time, the only thing students hear subs say is their name when taking attendance. But these people have much more to share than lesson plans.
Maureen Ritchie
She’s been a waitress. Nanny. Online factory and deli worker. Pharmaceutical employee. Scooter charger. Exam proctor. College Board specialist. And substitute teacher.
Ritchie has held an extensive amount of jobs since she was 18. In college alone, she worked four jobs, supporting herself as a first-generation student.
When Ritchie graduated from Westminster College, there was only one thing on her mind: paying off her overwhelming student debt.
“I didn’t really have the option to follow a passion,” Ritchie said.
So she applied for a job at Johnson & Johnson and climbed her way up the ranks of the pharmaceutical industry for 27 years. But after almost three decades of working, she was burnt out and decided to stop working, instead devoting as much of her time as possible to her three-year-old son.
“We were told we couldn’t have children, and then I got pregnant when I was 45,” Ritchie said. “My husband and I want to be there as much as we can for him.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Ritchie began working again, but this time, doing something that she loved and that helped her community.
“I wanted to figure out what’s next for me,” Ritchie said. “I wanted to see, ‘can I change careers later in life? [Is there] something more out [there] for me where I can really make a difference for people?’”
She decided to work as a substitute teacher for the East Lansing and Lansing school districts. She loves the job, especially working in the fast-paced environment of ELHS’ administration office.
“I operate best when you don’t know what’s going to hit you next” Ritchie said. “The days roll so fast, and you feel like you’re really helping.”
In addition to working as a substitute, Ritchie works four other jobs and enjoys the flexible hours this lifestyle gives her.
“I want to be home for my child after school and in the summers because I feel like these years are fleeting,” Ritchie said.
Ritchie also takes care of her mother, who has had Alzheimer’s for over a decade.
“Everything I have and all I am I owe to my incredible parents,” Ritchie said. “My father has passed, and my mom is nearing the end. I won’t get these years back with them or with my son. So while my choices may not be the most financially savvy, they are right for my heart. My family is everything to me and all my decisions are centered on what is best for them first, and secondly on how I can best serve my community.”
Jeff Plum
Plum’s favorite class to teach is journalism teacher Cody Harrell’s. He graduated from MSU in 1993 with a BA in journalism and worked as a sports reporter for over 20 years. He first joined his school newspaper after watching the popular 70s TV show, Happy Days, because the main character became a journalist.
“I was such a fan of the show, and I had the ability to write even as [a kid, so] I leaned into journalism,” Plum said.
Plum decided to transition from journalism to teaching because he wanted the ability to coach.
“It all ties into working with kids,” Plum said. “When I would interview coaches at track meets, I would see how these teachers who were their coaches interacted with them, and I said, ‘you know, I can do this too.’”
Because Plum works multiple jobs, the freedom of subbing appeals to him.
“I enjoy the flexibility it gives me,” Plum said. “If I want to sub one day, I can. If I need a break, I can take a day off. It worked well when I was a journalist during the 1990s.”
Though Plum loves to sub, he hopes to land a full-time teaching job.
“[Teaching journalism/ yearbook] is the ultimate goal if I could ever get that chance,” Plum said. “Those are areas of strength of mine, and I would really like to be able to share them with kids if I ever get the chance.”
Catherine Schwartz
Building sub Schwartz has been loyal to the district for 11 years. But she isn’t just any substitute. From being a camp counselor, medical IT, educational sales and military pilot, she’s found a place she loves at East Lansing.
Schwartz has always loved teaching and was a camp counselor during many summers for science, music and regular day camps. But she knew she wanted to be a military pilot, and succeeded in getting a position as high up as pilot and commander’s executive, after graduating from the University of Michigan.
“I realized how much I loved education,” Schwartz said. “As a stay-at-home mom, teaching is where I returned, and I love it.”
Throughout her life, Schwartz has persisted in teaching. When in high school, she joined the student council and gave flute lessons to help her financially.
“When I took my education classes in college, I absolutely loved all of the concepts,” Schwartz said. “I have been teaching on and off ever since. Even in the military, when they would have the Boy Scouts come to check out the jet we flew at our squadron, I would be the one to take them on the tour.”
During her time in the military, she volunteered with Junior Achievement for six months, a program aimed at teaching financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship to K-12 students. Then she decided to settle down in Sacramento, where she switched between sales, substitute teaching and directing for the Sylvan Learning Center.
In 2011, Schwartz moved back to Michigan to use her degree in teaching in a new way: to give more to the classroom.
“If it’s myself, or someone else with a teaching degree like Nate [Colon] or Ms. Anderson, who helped with Ms. Wheeler’s class, they’ll give us the actual lesson, and then we teach the lesson as the regular teacher would,” Schwartz said. “Those are the classes I prefer. If it’s just a filler class, like a movie, those are not my favorite.”
Schwartz values her relationships with the students above anything else and believes this is the key to education.
“Since Nate and I are both at [the] school often, we build connections with the students,” Schwartz said. “I love having student relationships with a lot of the kids in the East Lansing area. It’s more valuable than the teaching degree on some days.”
