Assignment to a Substitute Position

The selection and assignment of a substitute teacher to fill a particular vacancy is the responsibility of the Human Resources Department.  Jobs are offered by an automated system based on the following criteria:

1. Priority consideration is given to substitute teachers who have already worked fifty assignments in our district during one school year.  These substitutes are eligible for bargaining unit status.

2. If the substitute management system is unable to match a substitute teacher’s qualifications to that of an absent teacher, the system will then begin calling all available substitutes. 

3. Site secretaries may call substitute teachers in emergencies; however, no assignment is complete until it has been reported into the substitute management system to generate a confirmation number.

Achieving Bargaining Unit Status

Substitute teachers who have worked in paid substitute service for fifty (50) assignments during the school year, worked thirty (30) assignments in each of the last two semesters or who have worked twenty (20) consecutive days can become bargaining unit members. BFT and BUSD will review jobs at the end of each semester. If a substitute meets the requirements mid-semester, the substitute teacher will need to email the Human Resources Department along with a cc to the Berkeley Federation of Teachers (BFT) requesting an inquiry into bargaining unit status. Send your Aesop report of jobs to vicepresident@berkeleyteachers.org with a subject line stating “Your last name, First initial Achieving Bargaining Unit Status” and your contact information and someone will respond to you.  

Maintaining Bargaining Unit Status

Article 2.1.7 (f) Substitutes who have become members of the bargaining unit under this section shall remain members of the bargaining unit for the semester as long as they are working at the rate of 20 assignments per semester. 

Pre-Assignments for Non-Bargaining Unit Substitutes

A non-bargaining unit substitute teacher may receive a Special Circumstance Waiver for a specific subject matter assignment, teacher or department if approved by the requesting site administrator, the president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, and the Human Resources Department. Waiver request forms are available from the Human Resources Department and are only valid for the specified school year.  In the absence of a special circumstance waiver, a non-bargaining unit substitute cannot be pre-assigned. 

Special Circumstance Waiver

This form is to be completed by an administrator, not by the substitute candidate.

Pre-Assignments for Student Teachers

Student teachers may substitute for their master teachers if the student teachers hold valid Substitute Teaching Permits, are authorized by the Human Resources Department and have registered with the substitute management system.  Student teachers may only substitute for their master teachers or at their assigned sites.

Canceling Accepted Assignments

To ensure continuity of instruction, substitutes who accept assignments are expected to report as appropriate. Repeated failure to do so will result in the substitute receiving an unsatisfactory performance evaluation.  We understand that emergencies occur.  In such instances, the substitute teachers are expected to cancel the acceptance of the assignment as soon as possible and preferably no less than 24 hours prior to the reporting time for that assignment. Repeated failure to do so will result in an unsatisfactory performance evaluation.  Should there be a pattern of canceling accepted assignments, even with a 24-hour advance notice, an unsatisfactory performance evaluation may be issued.

In the event of an emergency, please contact paisleydews@berkeley.net or (510) 898-9086.