Substitute Teacher Requirements
Georgia offers a relatively flexible pathway into substitute teaching, especially compared to states that require a full professional teaching license for all classroom coverage. Rather than enforcing a single rigid credential, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) allows districts to hire substitutes under multiple qualification tiers, each with different education and training requirements.
In practice, Atlanta-area K-12 schools typically recognize three primary substitute roles: certified substitute teachers, non-certified substitute teachers, and paraprofessional substitutes. Each role serves a different classroom need and comes with its own eligibility standards, giving schools more staffing flexibility while still maintaining safety and instructional continuity.
Sub Teacher Requirements
Certified Substitute Teacher (K–12 — APS)
Requirements
Education: Bachelor’s degree or above from a regionally accredited college or university or a GaPSC-approved institution.
Certification:Â Valid or expired professional Georgia teaching certificate issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
Clearance:Â Valid or expired Georgia Clearance Certificate, or GACE Educator Ethics completion certificate on file with GaPSC.
Background:Â Clear criminal background check and fingerprinting (processed after application review).
Application:Â Complete APS online application with all supporting credentials (transcripts, certificate copies, references).
Age:Â 18+ per Georgia state baseline.
Training:Â Exempt from the STEDI Online Substitute Training Course requirement.
Long-Term:Â Can serve as a long-term substitute (20+ consecutive days in the same assignment) provided certification matches the assignment. Long-term rate: $234.98/day.
Why This Matters Certified subs are given the highest priority under both APS policy and GaPSC Rule 505-2-.20. They can accept longer assignments without restriction, earn the highest daily rate ($220.00/day), and are exempt from additional training requirements. |
Non-Certified Substitute Teacher (K–12 — APS)
Requirements
Education: Minimum Bachelor’s degree or above from a regionally accredited college or university or a GaPSC-approved institution. Verifiable by transcript or diploma.
Training:Â Satisfy one of the following:
Complete the STEDI Online Substitute Training Course ($39.95) with a composite passing score of at least 80%, earning a SubDiploma; OR
Provide proof of a valid or expired professional teaching certificate, paraprofessional certificate, professional service certificate, or professional leadership certificate issued by any state credentialing agency.
Clearance:Â Valid or expired Georgia Clearance Certificate, or GACE Educator Ethics completion certificate on file with GaPSC.
Background:Â Criminal background check and fingerprinting required.
Application:Â Complete APS online application with transcripts, training proof or certificate copy, SubDiploma (if applicable), and answered professional references.
Age:Â 18+ per Georgia state baseline.
Long-Term Restrictions:Â Under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.20, any classroom vacancy lasting 46 or more consecutive days must be filled by a certified, in-field teacher. Non-certified subs are not eligible for the long-term pay rate.
Why This Matters Non-certified subs fill day-to-day gaps and are ranked second in GaPSC’s priority order (after certificate holders). The training or certificate exemption ensures baseline readiness, but without a Georgia teaching certificate, longer placements are restricted by state rule. |
Paraprofessional Substitute (K–12 — APS)
Requirements
Education:Â High school diploma or GED equivalent (minimum).
Role:Â Supports classroom and paraprofessional duties rather than serving as the lead classroom teacher.
Training:Â Satisfy one of the following:
Complete the STEDI Online Substitute Training Course ($39.95) with a composite passing score of at least 80%, earning a SubDiploma; OR
Provide proof of a valid or expired professional teaching certificate, paraprofessional certificate, professional service certificate, or professional leadership certificate issued by any state credentialing agency.
Background:Â Criminal background check and fingerprinting required.
Age:Â 18+ per Georgia state baseline.
Application:Â Complete APS online application specifying paraprofessional classification.
Why This Matters This is not a certified teaching substitute role but fills essential support positions (aides, monitors, classroom assistants). At $130.00/day, it offers a pathway into school staffing for those without a bachelor’s degree. |
Georgia State Baseline Substitute Rules (Statewide)
Source: GaPSC Rule 505-2-.20, effective January 1, 2020
Baseline Requirements
Education Minimum:Â High school diploma or GED equivalent.
Priority Order:Â Each local unit of administration (LUA) must maintain a substitute teacher list and give priority to the highest-qualified individuals, ranked as follows:
1. Valid or expired Induction or Professional teaching certificate, or valid Georgia Retired Educator certificate.
2. Bachelor’s degree or higher from a GaPSC-accepted accredited institution.
3. Postsecondary training beyond high school (ranked by years completed).
4. High school diploma.
5. GED certificate.
Training:Â Minimum four (4) hours of initial substitute teacher training provided by the employing Georgia LUA. Holders of a valid or expired Georgia professional teaching certificate or Paraprofessional certificate are exempt from this training requirement.
Background:Â Criminal background check and fingerprinting required.
Age Minimum:Â 18 years old per state baseline. Individual districts may set higher thresholds.
Assignment Limits:Â Subs holding only a high school diploma or GED may not work in any one classroom for more than 10 consecutive days.
46-Day Rule:Â Any classroom teacher absence or vacancy lasting 46 or more consecutive days must be filled by a certified, in-field teacher.
Certification: Georgia does not issue a statewide substitute teaching permit. Each district sets its own hiring policies above the state floor. Districts like APS typically impose stricter standards (e.g., requiring a bachelor’s degree for teaching substitutes).
License Required for Substitute Teaching?
Sometimes