How to become a substitute teacher in Illinois.

Students need qualified educators to lead their classrooms—and that means you’ll need to meet specific requirements to become a substitute teacher in Illinois.  

Kelly Education works with many schools across the state to hire substitute teachers, so we’re experts in the state’s hiring process. Let’s look more closely. 

Minimum Illinois state requirements, at a glance*:

• Certification: Illinois substitute license or short-term substitute license 
• Education: Bachelor’s degree or 90+ college credits AND actively enrolled in an approved educator preparation program for substitute; Associate degree or 60+ college credits for short-term substitute 
• Age: 18 years 
• Employment verification to work in the U.S. 
• Fingerprinting 
• TB test and physical 

Kelly Education substitute teachers have additional steps:

• Kelly Education application  
• Background check 
• Pre-hire training 
• New hire orientation 

A deeper dive into substitute teacher requirements.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) issues substitute teacher licenses for standard or short-term appointments. Your substitute license is valid for five years and is renewable for a minimal fee. The short-term license permits up to five consecutive teaching days in the classroom and is not renewable. 

If you possess all of the prerequisites for substitute teacher certification, the ISBE application timeline will move quickly. The substitute teacher application fee is $50. The application fee for a short-term substitute teacher is $25. 

Education verification.

Both the standard substitute teacher license and the short-term option require some college credit. For the general substitute license, applicants must either have a bachelor’s degree or be actively enrolled, with at least 90 completed hours in an Illinois-based, accredited educator preparation program. For the short-term license, candidates must possess an associate degree or at least 60 semester hours of completed college-level coursework. 

Obtain your college transcripts right away. Many institutions need up to a week to process these requests, and there is often a small associated fee. 

It’s always a good idea to read through the school district’s job description. Local entities can request additional hiring credentials or experience beyond the state regulations. 

I-9: Employment verification.

All substitute teacher candidates must be eligible for work in the United States. Your school district will require a completed federal I-9 form and copies of valid identification credentials (a passport or driver’s license will do). Kelly Education candidates complete this step electronically with help from our team. 

Background check and fingerprinting.

All candidates for substitute teacher positions in Illinois must complete fingerprinting. The state uses fingerprint screening to vet an applicant’s criminal history. Fingerprinting instructions are district-specific.  

The state also mandates a health assessment which includes a TB test and a physical exam.  

To ensure student safety, Kelly Education will run a check through the National Sex Offender Registry and county-level criminal checks. 

Training.

Since substitute teacher candidates have varied levels of classroom experience, training is an important step to help everyone feel confident and prepared. In Illinois, mandatory reporter training is required for all employees working in a classroom.  

Aspiring Kelly Education substitutes also complete a free ClassSmarts training as part of the hiring process. There’s plenty to cover, but this training course takes less than two hours to complete and is available entirely online. 

Kelly Education also requires New Hire Orientation. This paid, one-hour session covers how we work with you as well as school district policies and expectations. 

Getting started with Kelly Education and our school district partners.

Are you ready to make a difference with flexible work that matters? Visit myKelly to learn more about which districts we partner with. Or fill out our interest form and a Kelly Education recruiter will get in touch to answer any questions you have and get you started on the next steps.  

* Information subject to change. This is a general guideline. School districts may have more requirements, in addition to state requirements.