About Us
A Leader in Education Staffing Since 2000
Who We Are
An Innovative, Trusted Partner
As leaders in the education staffing and management space since 2000, the ESS family of companies specializes in placing qualified staff in daily, long-term, permanent, and virtual K-12 school district positions, including substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school support staff. Collectively, we employ 100,000+ professionals to help 8.5 million students achieve academic success in more than 15,000 schools nationwide.
Our History
2000s
- 2000 – ESS was founded as a secondary source of substitute staffing with 150 substitute employees serving 17 partnering school districts in the state of New Jersey
- 2003 – Expanded into our 7th county in New Jersey with our 65th school district partnership
- 2006 – Began offering a full-service substitute program and started to provide long-term substitutes
2010s
- 2010 – ESS began providing services for permanent paraprofessionals
- 2011 – Developed our first copyrighted training manual
- 2013 – Expanded our services into Pennsylvania
- 2014 – Expanded our services into Connecticut, Virginia, and Georgia
- 2014 – Created our annual Impact Award to recognize top-performing employees
- 2015 – Private equity firm Nautic Partners, LLC added to our resources with a significant investment
- 2016 – Expanded our services into South Carolina, Tennessee, and Rhode Island
- 2017 – Launched a paid employee referral program and a monthly raffle program for employees
- 2017 – Expanded our services into Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Oregon, and Mississippi after acquiring several companies
- 2018 – Expanded our services into California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah
- 2018 – Created willsub+, our own application, absence management, and time tracking software
- 2019 – Bought Proximity Learning, a company specializing in virtual learning, as well as Enriched Schools, a company providing guest educators to charter schools
- 2019 – Expanded our services into Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Washington
2020s
- 2020 – Expanded our services into Louisiana
- 2021 – Expanded our services into Colorado and Idaho
- 2022 – The Vistria Group became a majority investor, significantly investing in the education initiatives of ESS
- 2022 – Implemented a policy enabling corporate employees to take 16 hours of paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO) annually
- 2022 – Launched the ESS Marketplace, our employee discount shopping portal
- 2022 – Expanded our services into Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin
- 2023 – Implemented the Career Kickstart Incentive to help newly hired employees with the costs associated with obtaining credentials
- 2023 – Acquired Academic Staffing, a company that provides various therapy services to K-12 school districts
- 2023 – Expanded our services into Kansas
- 2023 – Partnered with Accelerate Learning to offer several professional certificate opportunities at a deeply discounted rate through the National Institute for STEM Education (NISE)
- 2023 – Expanded our services by purchasing PSI, a company that offers services in school health, social, emotional, and behavioral health, and special education support.
- 2024 – Combined Accelerate Learning with PSI to more effectively support districts across the country
Today
- Serving 1,200+ school systems nationwide
- Enhancing achievement for more than 8,500,000 students
- Employing 100,000 talented substitute and permanent school personnel, along with 900 dedicated corporate employees
- Placing 35,000 positions every day in 15,000 schools
A Commitment to Service & Support
Dynamic Solutions
In today’s fast-paced world, a “one-size-fits-all” approach simply won’t cut it. Whether you’re a job seeker looking for a career that fits your lifestyle goals or a district administrator seeking a partner to relieve administrative burdens, we’re committed to implementing tailor-made solutions that adapt to your evolving needs.
Growth Focused
From day one, ESS has embraced innovation, sought out new opportunities, and cultivated a culture that thrives on progress. We’re on a mission to continue expanding into new areas and enriching the talent pools in the communities we serve. We know that promoting growth in our employees and programs will in turn inspire the growth of students nationwide.
Personalized Service
Providing individualized support to both our clients and employees is a keystone of the ESS culture. Our clients benefit from the localized support of our regional operations teams who are always a phone call, email, or onsite visit away. Meanwhile, our dedicated employee engagement teams make sure every question or concern is expeditiously addressed.
Passionate Team Members
ESS hires people who are passionate about making a difference in education. From our dynamic internal team working tirelessly behind the scenes to optimize every aspect of our program to our incredible substitute teachers and paraprofessionals supporting students in the field every day, we are deeply committed to maximizing student achievement in every school we serve.
Comprehensive Approach
With 24 years of experience in the education space, ESS delivers turnkey programs that take the guesswork out of education talent management. We have every angle covered when it comes to delivering a successful partnership with school districts and a rewarding experience for our valued employees.
A Note from Our CEO
Education is the cornerstone of our future, and at ESS, we are dedicated to shaping that future. We believe that every student deserves access to quality educators – every day. By continuously investing in our people, programs, and technology, we aim to secure a brighter tomorrow for students across the country.
Buddy Helton, President and Chief
Executive Officer
Explore More
Meet Our Team
Our people are at the heart of our mission, working together to make a positive impact in education.
Brands and Products
With a diverse array of affiliated companies and technology solutions, ESS is more than meets the eye.
Blog and News
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