In Kansas and Missouri, the call for substitute teachers has hit a high note. Owing to sporadic and enduring absences, educational institutes are stretched thin. This strain has become more pronounced with COVID-19 redefining the criteria for stand-ins, thereby, opening the door wider for prospective applicants.

Substitute Teacher Credentials

Required by Kansas:

• Licensing: Substitute teachers in Kansas need a current Kansas Professional Teaching License or a Standard or Emergency Substitute License.
• Education: An “Emergency Substitute” requires 60 college credit hours, while a “Standard Substitute” necessitates completing a teacher education program.
• Additional Steps: After obtaining a license, candidates must apply to individual districts, which may involve additional background and reference checks.
• TB Test: Kansas requires a negative TB test result from any licensed healthcare professional within the past 12 months for substitute teachers.

Missouri Requirements:

• Licensing: A Missouri Professional Teaching License or a Content Substitute License is needed.
• Education and Certification:
• Content Substitute Teachers: Must have 60 earned college credit hours.
• Career Technical Substitutes: Require a bachelor’s degree and 4,000 hours of experience or an associate’s degree with 5,000 hours of experience. Without a degree, 6,000 approved hours in the teaching area suffice.
• Training: Complete a 20-hour online course offered through Frontline Education, Kelly Education, or approved Missouri higher-education institutions. This course covers classroom management and conflict de-escalation.
• Application Process: Applicants must submit college transcripts, complete a background check, and pay a $50 processing fee.

The Push for More Applicants

With an optimistic outlook, Keith Elliott from Kelly Services expressed the expectation that amending Missouri’s prerequisites would bring in more applicants. He shed light on the 20-hour training module kicked off in June 2022, purposed to arm substitutes with skills necessary for making a mark in classrooms. “Going one mile further, Kelly has brainstormed our distinct preparation course, recently shared with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Missouri,” Elliott commented.

Even with these strides forward, Elliot confessed that the number of substitute teachers applying wasn’t multiplying at a commendable rate. But paradoxically enough, COVID-19 has surged the need for substitute teachers by about 10 to 15%, a trend predicted to stick around as schools reopen.

Certification Walkthrough

Steps in Missouri: 

• Online Registration: The DESE (Department of Elementary & Secondary Education) website takes registration for applications under “Educator Certification System,” opting for “Substitute Certificate. “
• Transcripts Submission: Accumulate and deliver all college sanctioned transcripts via mail.
• Background Verification: Fingerprinting and background check need to be done through the DESE portal.
• Renewal: A certification holds good for four years with renewal requiring the repetition of the above steps coupled with a $50 processing charge.

Earnings and Job Prospect

The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates a 7-8% incline in elementary and secondary teaching jobs between 2016 and 2026. In juxtaposition, Missouri substitute teachers caught an average pay packet of $27,580 in 2018. Their per-hour remuneration swung like a pendulum between $11.47 and $25.33, hinged on their academic prowess and experience. In Kansas, the day wages for short-term substitute assignments begin at an agreeable $100, climbing for long-term tasks.

Plights and Paybacks

Substitute teaching can be as tough as a two-dollar steak yet rewarding in equal measures. Veteran substitute teacher Russell Miller accentuated the value of adaptability, saying, “You’ve to be supple at heart or risk being a sourpuss of a fill-in teacher if you insist on surety in your days. ”

The job dances on one’s readiness to adjust, especially in places such as Sedgwick County where plenty of educational center’s wrestle for the same reserve pool. Besides, COVID-19 has amped up the scarcity of frontline tutors, pinning down the preciousness of their stand-ins.

But all is not lost – the gratification is enormous. Taking over as a teacher lets one imprint an influence on juvenile minds while gaining direct experience in managing a classroom. Echoing this thought, an experienced replacement teacher exhorted, “If you’re playing on the fence about deciding, remember – you can only stand to gain bounties, and nothing ventures from your side. ”

Routes to become a teacher

For those hunting for a career in education, substituting can be a springboard. In Missouri, orthodox teacher certification envelops finishing a four-year college-approved course schedule with student teaching and clearing a designated evaluation test along with obtaining a bachelor’s degree in the field.

In Kansas, those with “Standard Substitute” licenses have a shot at progressing to full-time teaching by meeting more academic and certification conditions. The time invested as a substitute teacher can yield invaluable perceptive and practical prowess for budding educators.

Conclusion

With schools in Kansas and Missouri grappling with substitute teacher deficiency, the sector opens up promising possibilities for those who see this as their vocation. Whether you aim to build a teaching career or are on the prowl for adjustable employment hours, becoming a substitute offers you the perk of influencing young lives while supplying an immediate requirement in education. All it takes is fulfilling the pre-set qualifications and an elasticity to mold oneself to the situation – so you too can contribute significantly to your local schools.