How to become a substitute teacher in Missouri.

January 15, 2024

Thinking you might want to become a substitute teacher in Missouri? With more than 554 public school districts and 875,000 students, Missouri has many opportunities for you. Kelly Education works with hundreds of schools in the state, so we’re the experts in the process of becoming a substitute teacher. With our help and your determination and initiative, you’ll be in classrooms in no time! Below are the minimum requirements for substitute teachers in Missouri. Of course, each district can establish its own requirements above what the state requires. Looking for substitute teacher requirements in another state, check out this guide to requirements in all 50 states.

Minimum Missouri state requirements at a glance*:

Certification: Missouri substitute license
Education: 36+ college credits OR a high school diploma or equivalent, plus completion of a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education ((DESE) approved 20-hour training course. The Kelly Education DESE-approved course is available here.
Age: 18 years
Employment verification to work in the U.S.
Fingerprinting
Background check

In addition to Missouri state requirements, Kelly Education requires:

Pre-hire training  (included in the Kelly Education 20-hour course)
New hire orientation

A deeper dive into substitute teacher requirements.

If you want to become a substitute teacher in Missouri, you should understand the credentialing requirements, steps, and timeline involved. The entire onboarding process can take from three days to six weeks. Of course, some of this is dependent on the state and the time it takes to process the paperwork. But you also play an important role. Onboarding time is also determined by how quickly you provide the necessary information. A person with a valid Missouri teaching certificate who wishes to substitute teach in a school district is not required by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to apply for a substitute certificate. This includes those who hold an initial professional, career continuous professional, lifetime, student services, administration, provisional, and/or temporary certificate. If the educator allows his/her teaching certificate to expire, a substitute certificate is required. A Content Substitute Certificate is for individuals wishing to substitute teach in the K-12 classroom setting (elementary, middle/high school content areas, special education, art, music, PE, etc.). To obtain this certificate, go to this website and create an account. Complete your profile, submit your application, and pay the $50 application processing fee. The DESE in Missouri has an easy-to-follow checklist for obtaining Substitute Certification. In Missouri, there are two paths to qualify to receive a substitute teaching certificate — college education or training. If you work for a KE partner district, our recruiter will guide you through the path that is right for you. 

Education verification.

A Content Substitute certificate may be granted to an individual who has completed at least 36 semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited, academic degree-granting college or university. You must provide verification of these hours along with an official transcript from each institution you attended. Be sure to include your Social Security number or Educator ID number on the outside envelope of any transcript sent to DESE.

Training.

If you don’t have 36 semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution, you can take the Kelly Education certification, which satisfies the DESE twenty (20) clock hours substitute teacher training requirement. Once you have successfully completed the course, you can obtain a Content Substitute certificate. There is a fee associated with this online program. If you work for a Kelly Education district, our mandatory pre-hire Class Smarts training is included in the state requirement. It covers topics like ethics of teaching, legal obligations of educators, and classroom management techniques. A Kelly Education recruiter will explain all of this in detail. Also, before entering a classroom, our substitute teachers must complete a New Hire Orientation module. This paid orientation covers Kelly Education and district-specific procedures and policies.

Employment verification.

Like most jobs, substitute teachers must provide proof that they can legally work in the U.S. To complete this step, you'll submit an I-9 form with valid identification credentials . This form can be completed in just a few minutes. If you work with Kelly Education, we'll guide you through this process.

Background check and fingerprinting.

The state of Missouri requires fingerprinting screening for all substitute teachers. If you have previously been fingerprinted for DESE, a new fingerprint clearance will be required if the previous one is over twelve months old. Also, you must complete a background check if you are requesting a new certificate or are considered a new hire at a school district. Fingerprint/background clearance must be obtained before a certificate can be issued. Kelly Education also runs a National Sex Offender registry check. This background check process is relatively quick, taking about two days.

Getting started with Kelly Education.

Kelly Education has placed thousands of educators in Missouri schools. If you want to work at one of our partner school districts, we’d be delighted to help you. Are you wondering, where are the substitute teacher jobs near me and how do I apply to be a substitute teacher? Fill out our brief interest form and one of our recruiters will contact you to answer your questions and share more about opportunities to become a sub teacher with one of our school district partners. * Information subject to change. This is a general guideline. School districts may have more requirements, in addition to state requirements.