Meet Jamie West, Red Rover’s new Community Engagement Strategist. A trusted voice in K-12 Human Capital, Jamie is known for her real-world perspective and deep understanding of the operational challenges districts navigate through every day.
Before joining RedRover, Jamie spent 5+ years at Lake County Schools in Florida, where she grew as a recruiter for both non-instructional and instructional positions, developed an in-depth substitute management system, and partnered with district teams to improve engagement and workforce stability. As a former substitute herself, she brings firsthand insight into what it takes to build and support a strong substitute workforce. With focus and passion for building connecting within the K-12 community, Jamie is dedicated to helping districts across the nation achieve success.
In her new role, Jamie's focus is on strengthening relationships with districts nationwide, helping surface shared challenges, best practices, and real-world insights that elevate district voices across communities and move the K-12 workforce conversation forward.
In this Q&A, Jamie shares more about her background, journey through the K-12 industry, her infamous "TLC" philosophy when building relationships, what brought her to Red Rover, and how she's approaching this next chapter.
When people find out you grew up in Florida, they think, “wow, it’s so busy, how do you deal with the traffic” or “it must be nice being by the beach...” but it’s not like that at all in Lake County. We are a close-knit community, comprised of a bunch of small towns, small businesses, and rich history. The community-feel here is as authentic as it gets and you feel that support at every school every single day. I think that’s why I felt a passion for K-12 so early on, the sense of inclusivity and individualism simultaneously tends to be very inspiring in your youth.
My time working at Lake County Schools was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I started in HR thinking it would be very transactional, quickly realizing how transformative it can be. Because of my years as a substitute teacher, administration thought I’d be a great fit for the mission of bringing substitutes back to school campuses post-pandemic. I dove right into that new role and helped bring it to this century by implementing modern technology, cue Red Rover. Though I had transitioned to a recruiter role by the time I learned what Red Rover even was, I still had such a passion for improving processes and bringing the systems we had in Lake to the modern age. I met Ben Allston and Leah Pope at the national American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) conference in 2022, where the first impression was nothing less than spectacular. I was able to implement Red Rover in Lake only a few months later, bringing a new absence management solution to the district.
When I was a substitute, I learned so much from my students, the school admin, and even the teachers. The first thing I realized was that becoming a full-time teacher was not for me, but also realized that I wanted to stay in the education world because my passion for connecting with students is so prominent. I found a purpose in education that I had yet to find elsewhere. That’s what directed me toward a career in K-12 HR, recruitment and retention... my passion for connecting with people but also connecting people to a career that will help them find their purpose.
The Substitute Management Advisory Council can bring attention to substitute managers, but also substitute employees across the country. As a council, we'd like to see substitute employees placed on the front burner and made a priority by districts, but also change the community lens to see subs just as impactful for student success as full-time employees. Without individuals willing to fill in during absences or in classrooms that don’t even have a teacher, we wouldn’t be able to have a functioning school system let alone see students succeed or grow. I hope as a council we can change the lens that substitutes are seen through.
It’s 2026, right? The largest myth we STILL see regarding the substitute workforce today is that they are “babysitters” or they “aren’t really teachers,” and this is no longer true. Long gone are the days substitutes roll in TV’s and put on Remember the Titans to waste time for 4 class periods per day. Substitutes are career-seekers, just like the rest of us. But they are career-seekers who have chosen to give back to students, and help them avoid missing steps while their teacher is out. When I was a student, our subs really didn’t know what to do if a lesson plan wasn’t left; nowadays substitutes are trained, they are given professional development opportunities, and are seen as employees rather than babysitters.
As a recruiter, I quickly learned that I was a sponge for information every single day I worked in that role. I wanted to not only prove myself to my coworkers, but I wanted to bring a different approach to the district that what we learned wasn’t really working in previous years. Instead of just bringing in my own assumptions, my mentor showed me the power of collecting feedback and data. Once I started realizing how candidates actually felt, versus my own assumptions, I was able to change my strategy. I wanted to teach candidates how to do simple things, like learn how to become a certified teacher, or what materials they need to bring to an interview; I wanted to learn from them so I could first seek-to-understand rather than have the desire to finish their thoughts and make assumptions about their needs; I wanted to make long-term connections and build relationships because there is nothing better than a teacher calling you 3 years into their career saying, “I upgraded my certificate! Thank you so much for helping me 3 years ago!” — it’s beyond rewarding. So I came up with my “TLC” mindset and I now use it in every aspect of my life.
The first word to pop into my head is, “SALARY” —because that conversation will unfortunately never end, at least not in my lifetime. K-12 cannot compete with corporate salaries, but what we can compete with is recognition, enthusiasm, purpose, and employee benefits. Recognizing school custodians and bus drivers just as much as those in a classroom has become the new normal and it speaks volumes, especially in districts who used to see high turnover. K-12 is also an industry that is constantly evolving, but remains purpose-driven and praises making learning fun —that’s where enthusiasm in your career comes in. And employee benefits can be creative — offer pet insurance options, or have wellness centers exclusive to employees, maybe even discounted gym memberships —this is what will set K-12 apart from corporate jobs.
There’s never a right time to leave a school district — at least for me. As a recruiter, you’re always thinking, “I can’t leave because who is going to do what I do here...” and I had to realize that my amazing HR team was completely capable of overcoming the challenge of my absence and evolve. I knew I was ready to branch out and grow as a professional. I simply wanted to become that sponge for learning that I once was. Think about it this way, if I became an ‘expert in my field’ within five and a half years at Lake County Schools, what could I do at Red Rover and with the Substitute Management Advisory Council in five and a half years?! I truly believe the sky is the limit and I am beyond excited.
I want school district leaders to know that I understand what hats they’re wearing, the pressure their position can have, but I also know the opportunities they have within K-12 HR to innovate their own systems by simply connecting and learning from others. I think what I truly what HR leaders to know is that they’re not alone in anything that they do. From high turnover rates for bus drivers, or lack of federal funding, or simply trying to find substitutes who want to teach in a special needs classroom — they are not alone. K-12 communities have strong individuals you can lean on or reach out to for ideas, leaning on one another is the best way to avoid remaining in “survival mode” as we venture into 2026.
I’m a strong believer in teamwork — that together we can achieve more. As a community of idealists, AASPA has truly changed my growth-rate as a recruiter. I learned so much, even when I was presenting or teaching others, I have been constantly absorbing ideas and information from K-12 leaders nationwide. I have AASPA to thank for that. Communities and organizations that bring individuals together, especially in K-12, are important because we remove ourselves from our comfort zones when we connect with others who aren’t “like-minded” per se, but maybe those who give us the opportunity to think outside of the box we sometimes put ourselves in.