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Phila. School's Superintendent Says The Clock Is Ticking For Company Hired To Fill Substitute Teaching Jobs

By Mike DeNardo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia's schools chief says his patience is wearing thin, with the under-performing company hired to fill substitute teachers' jobs.

The school district hired the Cherry Hill-based company, Source4Teachers, to put substitute teachers in Philly classrooms.

The company said it would fill 75 percent of vacancies on the first day of school and 90 percent by January. But the fill rates have topped out around 20 percent, and schools superintendent William Hite says he's not going to give the company much more time.

"My patience has run out," says Hite. "We were looking to solve a problem. We've been very disappointed with their performances to date. It hasn't met our expectations. We are in the process of helping them recruit and get individuals into classrooms, and this will not go on forever."

Hite says he'd better see improvement quickly.

"They've also been put on notice that their performance is not where we need it to be, and that it has to be corrected ASAP. And if not, then we have to think about other options."

As for pulling the plug on the $34-million dollar contract -- Hite says he has a date in mind, but he's not sharing it publicly.

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