Lesley Hacker

Lesley Hacker has a long history with Kelly Services’ Teachers on Call, a staffing service that places short- and long-term substitutes in schools and child care centers across the country. She and her team partner with schools to develop new staffing solutions and make them more “substitute-ready.”

Hacker began working as a substitute teacher during college, then an intern, and finally joined Teachers on Call full-time after graduation. Most recently, she was promoted to VP of regional sales, where she’s spearheaded the company’s expansion into the Pacific Northwest.

Hacker’s motivation, she says, comes from knowing she’s helping substitute educators — a segment she calls “a lost employee group” within school districts. “They can work in the schools every single day, but they don’t often receive the same level of professional development,” Hacker explains.

Over the next few years, Hacker is excited to expand Teachers on Call into smaller and more rural school districts, where educators are often forced to juggle several different roles. As for the industry as a whole, Hacker believes uncertainty in today’s world will only place a greater demand on the field. “Whether it’s coronavirus or a potential recession, staffing is an industry that’s been able to survive,” Hacker says. “There’s going to be a need of staffing for teachers and educational assistants to be able to support our youth, whether it’s going to be more of an online fashion or more centralized.”