4121

Personnel - Certified

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

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 and after requesting information from the applicant's prior employers and SDE. The Board shall determine which such persons are employable as substitute teachers.

Qualified substitute teachers are necessary for the continuous education of District students. Substitute teachers will be utilized whenever the regular classroom teacher is not in attendance and where practicable.

Approved substitutes shall remain continuously employed by the Board as a substitute teacher, provided the Board does not have any knowledge of a reason that such person should be removed from the list.

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

Rates of compensation for substitute teachers will be set by the superintendent and agreed to 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.

Only fully certified replacement teachers will be assigned to classes whose regular teachers are on long-term leaves of absence of forty (40) days or more. Principals will attempt to maintain as much continuity as possible by engaging only one substitute for the full period of absence of one teacher and by calling back a substitute to serve in a classroom in which he/she has already performed successfully. Daily substitute teachers are those who serve for a variety of teachers and/or in a non-consecutive manner. Long-term substitute teachers are those who are requested to serve more than 10 consecutive days for the same teacher.

If long-term substitutes are required (more than 10 consecutive days for one assignment), the substitute must meet certification requirements for that assignment unless extenuating circumstance is noted and approved by the superintendent and under State Department of Education guidance.

Substitute teachers will not participate in the health and welfare 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.

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 and inter-district efforts 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-I

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)

Policy adopted: 8-9-2021