Substitute teaching is becoming more popular as more people are taking an interest in the field. A substitute teacher is an individual who serves in the stead of the regular teacher when he or she is on leave or in any unavoidable circumstance in which the regular teacher’s presence will be needed.
It is important to note that it is not just any individual who can be called upon to be a substitute teacher. To become a substitute teacher, there are certain permits or licenses that you must possess. To obtain the license or permit, there are certain requirements that you must meet. Also, these requirements vary depending on the state and the district or even the country in which you live or want to work.
In the next few sections, we will look at some of the permit types you can obtain in some states in the United States of America and what they cover.
California
In the article, ‘How to Become a Substitute Teacher‘, we looked at the various permits that one can use to work in the field of substitute teaching in California. The permits we looked at are:
- Emergency 30-Day Substitute Teaching Permit
- Emergency Substitute Teaching Permit for Prospective Teachers
- Emergency Career Substitute Permit
- Emergency Designated Subjects Career Technical Education Permit for 30-Day Substitute Teaching Service
In addition to these four, another permit that you can apply for in California is the Teaching Permit for Statutory Leave (TPSL).
Teaching Permit for Statutory Leave (TPSL)
Statutory leave is a period an employee is allowed days off by the employer. It is usually mandated by law and the employee will be paid for these days off work. There are different types of statutory leave namely:
- Annual leave
- Maternal leave
- Sick leave
- Education Leave
- Etc
The TPSL is a permit that authorizes a substitute teacher to cover for any teacher who is on statutory leave for the duration the regular teacher will be on leave. Depending on the type of assignment and your qualification, you may be issued one or more authorizations to cover multiple subjects, a single subject, or special education.
This permit is valid for one year and renewal must be done through your employing agency. This means that you can only apply for it and use the permit when in service with an employing agency.
Requirements for Issuance
The following are the requirements for obtaining the TPSL
- Bachelor’s degree
- Meet the basic skill requirement
- Completion of the initial 45 hours of TPSL preparation as determined by your employing agency.
- Completion of the coursework for the Teaching Permit for Statutory Leave type you are applying for.
There are also other requirements in addition to the ones listed above and they are based on the type of TPSL you are applying for. The types of TPSL that exist are:
- Single subject
- Multiple subjects
- Special Education
You can check out what each type entails here.
Note:
- All permit applications are done by submitting all required credentials to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). They review and issue the different permit types.
- It takes approximately 7-10 business days for the CTC to review and issue a permit or a renewal. However, this is dependent on if you do not have a criminal record.
Nebraska
The substitute teacher permit is issued by the Department of Education in Nebraska and they have two types of permits which they issue. They are:
- Local Substitute Permit
- State Substitute Permit
The Local Substitute Permit
The Local Substitute Permit authorizes the holder to be a substitute teacher for 90 full-time days. It is issued to individuals who have not yet completed the educator preparatory program but have at least 60 hours of college credit. The requirements for obtaining the Local Substitute Permit are:
- Prior registration into the TEACH system
- Application fee and duly filled form.
- Transcripts showing atleast 60 semester hour credit
- Fingerprint (for those who have lived outside of Nebraska for the past 5 years)
- Human Relations Training
The State Substitute Permit
The State Substitute Permit authorizes the holder to teach in any capacity they choose to and as long the employer is willing to accommodate you. It is only issued to individuals who have completed the educator preparatory program. The requirements for obtaining it are:
- Official transcript: this must be submitted in an envelope or be sent directly by the school you graduated from. The university has to be regionally accredited.
- Institutional verification: this is a form used to show that the educator preparatory program has been completed.
- Educator Certificate
- Fingerprints: this is for individuals who have lived outside of Nebraska for at least 5 years.
- Human Relations Training
- Application fee and the duly filled application form.
- Prior registration into the TEACH system.
Michigan
Michigan issues 4 different types of substitute teacher permits and they are:
- Daily substitute
- Full-year basic substitute
- Full-year shortage substitute
- Expert substitute
Daily substitute: This permit authorizes the holder to substitute on a need basis and can only be used to teach for no more than 90 days for one assignment. It has a validity of 1 year and cannot be renewed after the year is over.
Full-Year Basic Substitute: This permit authorizes the holder to teach without a period limit per assignment. However, the holder has to satisfy the educational requirements for a daily substitute and any other the school or district stipulates. It has a validity of 4 years but can be renewed up to three times.
Full-Year Shortage Substitute: This type of permit is issued when there is a shortage of qualified teachers across the state and the need for teachers in schools. The school or the district can apply on behalf of the individual who indicates interest and has submitted the right documents required.
Expert Substitute: Individuals who are experts in their chosen field of study can apply for this authorisation and they will get it. As long as you have a good rating, you can renew your license every year.
Job Description of a Substitute Teacher
- Follow the lesson plan laid down by the regular teacher.
- Enforces discipline and order in the classroom.
- Abides by the school’s policies and enforces them.
- Monitors students outside of the classroom and ensures they behave well within the school premises.
- Marks and grades students’ homework.
- Maintains good communication with the students.
- Takes notes about the progress of the students for the regular teacher.
- Fostering a safe learning environment.
- Taking attendance
These are some of the general job descriptions of a substitute teacher. Some schools can add some duties that are specific to them. The endpoint of it all is for the substitute teacher to fit into the school, deliver on his or her assigned duties, and help the school grow
Having looked at the job description of a substitute teacher, let us look at the 10 best websites for substitute teacher jobs.
10 Best Websites for Substitute Teacher Jobs
The following are some of the best websites for substitute teacher jobs. The list below does not portray all the websites you can find substitute teacher jobs
- Indeed
- Simplyhired
- Zippia
- Glassdoor
- Ess
- Scoot
- Teaching Nomad
- Swing
- Edustaff
Indeed
Indeed is a website where you can find any kind of job. They put up job opportunities across diverse fields on their website and you can search for jobs in your region. It is one of the leading websites, if not the number 1 website. Indeed’s website does not only offer job opportunities, but it also offers articles that will help you find the right job for you, ace your interview, and excel at the job when you get it. It is one of the websites you can get a variety of substitute teacher jobs.
LinkedIn is a professional website with employers, employees, and applicants. It is a commonplace that unifies people from all levels of their profession and for those who are yet to enter the professional world. On LinkedIn, you can apply for jobs, take courses, and possibly meet mentors in your field. LinkedIn is a one-stop shop for everything career and growth. It is one of the best websites you can find a substitute teacher job.
Simplyhired
This is a job search engine that collects and displays job listings from different sources like company websites, job portals, etc. The website, just like every other, makes use of algorithms to save user search and filter the jobs according to the applicant’s choice. Simplyhired operates a job search engine in 24 countries and 12 languages. This means you can do your job search in your language, if it is among the languages. It is one of the websites that display a variety of substitute teacher jobs.
Zippia
Zippia is a job website that prides itself on providing personalized job services to its subscribers. They also provide company insight based on reviews and also, job insights by matching candidates with jobs that are in line with the major they studied in school.
Glassdoor
Glassdoor is an organization that started operations in June 2007. It is a website where employees and employers can rate their organization either anonymously or not. These reviews guide you on what to expect at the organization and to decide if you will apply to work there or not. On the website, you can see salary reviews of the job you are applying for. This gives you an idea of what to bargain with during your interview. There are a variety of substitute teacher jobs on the website.
Ess
Ess is a staffing organization which started in the year 2000, that provides staff for organizations and has been doing that for the past 23 years. Being a staffing agency, its primary goal is providing customer satisfaction to clients. In this sense, both the employers and the employees are its customers. As an aspirant, this website benefits you in that you can find the job of your choice in your chosen locations. When employers request for staff, the algorithm (used to make the app) performs a search through the database of applicants and suggests to the employer different substitute teachers to pick from.
Ess offers flexible working hours, professional development, and other benefits. The organization trains its substitute teachers to provide solutions and match these teachers with the school suitable for their skill set. You can apply on their website by choosing your preferred location.
Scoot
Scoot is a staffing organization that has been in existence since the year 2004. One of their goals is to build a diverse and inclusive team, meaning having a team of substitute teachers who are from different walks of life. In their bid to offer the best staffing solution, they are directing their focus to the local community. Hence, providing them with the best service delivery. You can find substitute teaching jobs on their website.
Teaching Nomad
Teaching Nomad is a staffing organization that has been in existence since 2011. They take pride in their professionalism and reliability as they match individuals who are passionate about teaching to the reputable schools they work with. It is worth noting that they provide a personalized service by assigning each client to a dedicated manager. The primary market of Teaching Nomad is the international market, however, they are now open to the United States.
Swing
Swing is a staffing agency that has been in existence since 2015 and aims to provide schools and substitute teachers with a platform that makes it easier to receive substitute teacher requests (from schools and districts) and to request a substitute teacher (for substitute teachers). For the substitute teachers, they make use of technology to make access to substituting opportunities within different districts easy. The substitute teacher can then choose which opening to take and the one to leave.
Edustaff
Edustaff is a staffing agency that has been in existence since 2010 and has served over 550 districts. They provide substitute staffing services to schools in the different districts they serve and have become the leading K-12 substitute staffing agency.
Substitute Teacher Recruitment Agencies
Some agencies specialize in providing schools and districts with substitute teachers. In this section, we will be looking at some of them.
Kelly Education
Kelly Education is a part of the general group, Kelly Services. It has been in existence for over 70 years and under its education arm has provided quality staffing for schools.
Staffing Logistics
This organization specializes in providing staff for agencies and organizations based on their requests. They provide their services to a diverse field of which the education sector is one of them.
Parallel Employment Group
This is an employment agency that not just caters to staffing needs but also any other needs like interviewing applicants, and handling other matters involved in jobs advertisement and filling such jobs with suitable candidates.
You can find more of substitute teachers’ recruitment agencies under the website section. You can also check them out.
Substitute Teacher Resume Sample
If you need help writing your CV/resume, you can contact us at Fasthire here and we will write a resume that will get you your desired job in the schools you would like to work as a substitute.
Conclusion: 10 Best Websites for Substitute Teacher Jobs in 2024
Substitute teaching is a growing profession and will continue to grow as schools rely heavily on substitute teachers. Outlined in this article are the websites where you can apply for substitute teaching jobs. There are also recruitment agencies you can register under and be part of their substitute teacher pool, from which they send staff to the school and districts they service. You can check them out and start your substituting journey.
