4121 - Substitute Teachers

Personnel - Certified

4121 - Substitute Teachers

A substitute teacher shall be a person who has earned a Bachelor’s Degree, is fully qualified to instruct in our schools and who is employed for short periods of time in the absence of the regular teacher. The Commissioner of Education may waive requirement for a Bachelor’s Degree for good cause upon the request of the Superintendent of Schools.

The Board shall only hire applicants for substitute teaching positions who comply with the reference and background checks as detailed in Policy #4112.51/4212.51 and who comply with the required disclosure requirements

Suitable programs for training, assigning, orienting and evaluating the work of substitute teachers shall be provided by the certified staff under the direction of the Superintendent.

Rates of compensation for substitute teachers will be set by the Board of Education.

It will be the responsibility of the Principal or his/her designee to assign a substitute to fill any vacancy by the temporary absence of a regular staff member. The substitute teacher will be selected from a list of approved substitutes furnished by the Superintendent’s office.

The Board of Education is permitted to employ a person who lacks substitute teacher authorizations as a substitute teacher in the same assignment for a period not to exceed 60 school days. Principals will make every effort to maintain as much continuity of instruction as possible by engaging only one substitute teacher for the full period of absence of one teacher and by calling back a substitute to serve in a classroom in which he/she/they performed successfully.

Substitute teachers will not participate in the health plans or other fringe benefits of the school system. However, substitute personnel hired to fill the position of an employee absent on an extended leave will be entitled to the privileges and benefits afforded regular professional employees, with the exception that the term of employment ordinarily will cease at the scheduled termination of the regular teacher’s leave.

Retired teachers may be employed as substitute teachers without jeopardizing their retirement salary within the limits as prescribed by law.

It is the intent to use only certified teachers as substitutes, whenever possible.

If long-term substitutes are required (more than 10 consecutive days for one assignment), the substitute must meet certification requirements for that assignment. Long-term substitute teachers are those who are requested to serve more than 10 consecutive days for the same teacher. In such cases, following the 10th day, the rate of pay will be in the prorated daily rate of the beginning B.A. salary step in effect for that school year.

Daily substitute teachers are those who serve for a variety of teachers and/or in a non-consecutive manner.

Rates for daily substitutes and the first 10 days of long-term substitutes will be determined annually

during the budget process for the following year.

Cooperative, interdistrict and outside agency relationships and initiatives will be considered in order to meet the substitute need. In such cases, a rate may be set through the cooperative agreement.

(cf. 4112.51/4212.51 – Employment/Reference Checks)

Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes

10-183v Reemployment of teachers.

10-145a Certificates of qualification for teachers.

June 19 Special Session, Public Act No. 09-1

An Act Implementing the Provisions of the Budget Concerning Education, Authorizing State Grant Commitments for School Building Projects and Making Changes to the Statutes Concerning School building Projects and Other Education Statutes. (Section 48) Public Act No. 09-6 September Special Session

10-221d Criminal history records checks of school personnel. Fingerprinting. Termination or dismissal. (as amended by PA 16-67)

10-222c Hiring policy. (as amended by PA 16-67)

PA 23-159 (Section 18)

Policy Adopted: December 14, 2023