Use this template for day-to-day and long-term substitute teachers. Substitute rules vary by state: some issue a substitute license or permit, others leave the qualifications to districts.
Job summary
The substitute teacher maintains a productive learning environment and carries out lesson plans when a classroom teacher at [Campus name / district campuses] is absent. Substitutes follow the absent teacher's plans, keep students safe and on task, and report on the day to the teacher and campus office.
Duties and responsibilities
- Follow lesson plans and classroom routines left by the absent teacher.
- Take attendance and follow campus procedures for arrival, transitions, lunch and dismissal.
- Manage student behavior consistently with campus expectations, and escalate safety concerns.
- Follow IEP and 504 accommodations included in the plans.
- Supervise students during duties assigned to the absent teacher.
- Leave a written summary of the day: lessons completed, student issues and work collected.
- Keep student information confidential.
Qualifications
Required
- High school diploma or equivalent; [district minimum, for example 60 college hours or a bachelor's degree].
- Completion of the district's substitute orientation and training.
- Successful national criminal history review before the first assignment.
Preferred
- Bachelor's degree.
- State teaching certificate (required for [long-term assignments of more than X days]).
- Experience working with children in a school or youth program.
Certification and requirements
- State rules vary. Check whether your state requires a substitute license or permit, a minimum number of college hours, or training, and list each one.
- Long-term assignments. Many districts require a teaching certificate for long-term or special education assignments. Say so, with the number of days that counts as long-term.
- Background check before the first assignment.
Texas requirements
- No state certificate is required, but if a district employs an uncertified substitute, "the district must ensure the individual has the appropriate knowledge and skills to serve in the assignment," and must keep a list of its substitutes on file (19 TAC §231.1).
- Assignment rules still apply. The same chapter applies certification-by-assignment rules to substitutes, which matters for long-term placements.
- Background check before work. Uncertified hires must submit to a national criminal history review before employment (Texas Education Code §22.0833 (opens in a new tab)).
Schedule, pay and terms
- Schedule: on call, [daily / half-day] assignments booked through [system].
- Pay: $[daily rate] per day; $[long-term rate] for long-term assignments of [X] days or more; [rate] for certified substitutes.
- Employment type: non-contract, at-will, as needed.
How to adapt this description
- Publish the daily rate and the long-term rate. Pay is the first thing substitutes compare between districts.
- Say how assignments are offered and how far in advance.
- Spell out what changes for long-term assignments: certification, planning, grading and pay.