Georgia Substitute Teaching License

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GAPSC) does not issue substitute teaching permits. Rather, it is up to each Georgia school district to form hiring policies for its substitute teachers. According to the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia has 180 school systems.

Education Requirements

Depending upon the Georgia school system in which you are interested in substituting, educational requirements may vary. All schools require substitutes to have at least a GED or high school diploma. Some may require a bachelor’s degree or teaching certificate. Contact the school system in which you wish to work for district-specific policies.

Want to learn how to earn a professional teaching certification? Contact schools offering teaching certification programs in Georgia.

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Additionally, under GAPSC rules, all Georgia public school systems must provide at least four hours of initial substitute training to prospective substitute teachers before they are allowed to work in the classroom.

Experience

Each Georgia school system has its own experience requirements for substitute teachers. Some may require a prospective substitute to have some classroom experience, or experience working with children, while others require no such experience. Contact the school system in which you wish to work for district-specific rules.

Criminal History Background Check

The Georgia public school system to which you apply to become a substitute teacher will require you to undergo some sort of criminal history background check. This may be a straight Georgia criminal record check or involve a federal background check through the FBI, which will require fingerprinting. Your school district’s administrative office can provide you with more information on this process.

Additional Information

If you have only a GED or high school diploma, the GAPSC says that you may not work as a substitute teacher in any one classroom for more than 10 consecutive days.

If you hold a degree, you may not work for more than 45 consecutive days in any one classroom during a school year unless you are certified in the field in which you are teaching.

Deadlines

Contact the public school system in which you are interested in substituting for their application deadlines and procedures.

Contact Information

For more information on substitute teaching, contact your local public school system.