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On June 17, 2025, the Kentucky Educational Standards Board approved a waiver to allow substitute teaching to count towards student teaching during the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. The guidelines outlined herein are intended to support WKU student teachers such that they can serve as substitute teachers while experiencing the mentorship and development afforded to them in their student teaching semester.
WKU approves Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semester student teachers as emergency substitute teachers only in the school district(s) in which they are assigned for the semester. Student teachers may be paid as substitute teachers and count those days as part of their required instructional days. Students should apply for EPSB emergency substitute certification through the related school district’s human resources department. Student teachers may not be used as substitute teachers until they have secured emergency substitute certification for their individual school districts.
Student teachers may only substitute in the district they are assigned to student teach in starting after August 1st. However, they may work in other buildings within that same district, if requested to do so by the school district. They may also serve in grade levels/content areas outside of their student teaching placement if it is mutually acceptable by the student teacher and district. However, if a student teacher is mainly substitute teaching outside of the grade level bands or content area then WKU may choose to limit additional days of substitute teaching.
Student Teachers should review these directions prior to serving as a substitute teacher: SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS AND GUIDELINES.
This is an optional requirement. Student teachers should decide if applying for emergency substitute certification is a beneficial opportunity for them.
Long-Term Substitute During Student Teaching
Long-Term Substitute During Student Teaching
School administration may request for a WKU Student Teacher to serve as a long-term substitute. The Office of Professional Educator Services will work with the university supervisor to determine if this is a fit or not for the student teacher. These situations are decided on a case-by-case basis.
If the student teacher agrees then the student teacher is still responsible to keep all of the Sources of Evidence updated except for three areas (weekly responsibilities, observation reflections of other teachers and the weekly feedback from the mentor teachers). University Supervisors will use the other evidence to score Professionalism in Domain 4.
The student teacher must still attend the 489 Seminar class days and school administration is responsible for finding coverage for the student teacher on that day. Passing the 489 Teacher Work Sample is a requirement for graduation and certification.
The student teacher will not be observed by the mentor teacher, but will be by the University Supervisor with all of the required 4 observation/reflection documents. The university supervisor will work with the assigned mentor teacher when mid-term and final grades are determined so that consensus scoring is being completed.
The Agreement for Long-term Substitutes during Student Teaching will be sent to all parties to sign electronically once we have confirmed that the student teacher is approved to substitute in a long-term capacity.
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