Substitute teaching offers an opportunity to impact students in one of the most dynamic urban school districts in the country. DCSP Substitute Teachers provide coverage for teachers and educational aides when they are absent, or if there is a vacant instructional position at a school.  

DCPS has 3 different substitute teacher positions, outlined below: 

1. Substitute Teacher - K-12   
   This position is schedule and location-flexible. Substitute teachers in the K-12 pool can accept job assignments across all DC Public Schools sites, grades K-12, that match their availability and preferences. DCPS K-12 Substitute Teachers are required to work 2 full-day or 4 half-day assignments monthly to remain active in the substitute teacher pool. Employees who do not meet the 2 days per month requirement will be separated from DCPS and will need to reapply for the substitute teacher position. Read the full position description and apply for the DCPS K-12 Substitute Teacher position here.  

2. Substitute Teacher - Early Childhood Education  
   This position is schedule and location-flexible. Substitute teachers in the early childhood education (ECE) pool can accept job assignments across all DCPS Elementary Schools and Early Learning Centers that match their availability and preferences. DCPS ECE Substitute Teachers are asked to accept Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 (ECE) job assignments first but may work in other elementary school-based assignments. They are required to work 2 full-day or 4 half-day assignments monthly to remain active in the ECE substitute teacher pool. Employees who do not meet the 2 days per month requirement will be separated from DCPS and will need to reapply for the substitute teacher position. Read the full position description and apply for the DCPS ECE Substitute Teacher position here. 

3. SY 25-26 Substitute Teacher - School Building  
   The DCPS School Building Substitute Teacher position is a school-funded, full-time position. School Building Substitute Teachers will report to one school each day of the 2025-2026 School Year to support the needs of the school. Read the full position description and apply for the DCPS School Building Substitute Teacher position here.  

DCPS is currently accepting School Year 25-26 DCPS Principal’s Choice applications for all 3 substitute teacher positions. To be considered for a Principal’s Choice substitute teacher position, a current DCPS principal must send their recommendation of you for the position to our email: [email protected]. 

Substitute Responsibilities

DCPS Substitute Teachers play a critical role in supporting the continuity of instruction for all students. Effective substitute teachers make a positive impact on students and our school communities. 

The essential duties and responsibilities of all substitute teachers are outlined below: 

• Follow the lesson plan left by the teacher and ensure students complete all assigned tasks.  
• Maintain a safe environment.  
• Keep students under direct supervision at all times.  
• Refrain from any inappropriate physical contact.  
• Use appropriate language at all times.  
• Use materials provided by the teacher or other school personnel.  
• Avoid engaging in or encouraging discussions of inappropriate or non-school-related topics.  
• Become familiar with emergency procedures.  
• Notify school administration of any unusual incidents which may have occurred during the school day. 
• Leave information concerning the day’s activities for the teacher. 
• Check with the administrator before leaving an assignment early at the end of the day.  
• Refrain from the use of cell phones for making or receiving calls or texting while students are present (except in the case of an emergency). 
• Refrain from the use of laptops and earpieces. 
• Substitute teachers are not to share personal social networking sites such as email addresses, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any social networking pages with students. 

ECE (Early Childhood Education) substitute teachers work with students in pre-kindergarten (pre-K 3 and pre-K 4) classrooms and receive additional training for their role. In addition to the responsibilities listed above, ECE substitute teachers are expected to: 

• Implement early childhood active supervision strategies at all times (in the classroom, on the playground, in the bathroom, during transitions, and at dismissal) to ensure that children are kept safe from harm. This includes counting children before and after all transitions and following the classroom’s face-to-name recognition system. 
• Assist children with personal care and hygiene needs to include diapering, toilet training, and preparation for nap time. 
• Assist with the facilitation of family-style meals during lunchtime. Engage children in conversations about healthy eating habits and proper table manners. 

How to Become a DCPS Substitute Teacher

We are accepting DCPS Principal’s Choice applications for all 3 substitute teacher positions. To be considered for a Principal’s Choice substitute teacher position, a current DCPS principal must send their recommendation of you for the position to this email: [email protected].  

Application Process

After a candidate applies for a DCPS Substitute Teacher position, the Temporary Instructional Staffing Team will review their application. Candidates who pass this stage will be invited to an interview.  

• Note: Principal’s Choice applicants will bypass the interview stage of the application process when the Temporary Instructional Staffing Team receives the recommending principal’s approval. 
• Note: If a candidate is invited to more than 1 substitute teacher interview, they should interview for the position they are most interested in.  

The interview is an integral part of the substitute teacher application process as it allows candidates to demonstrate their teaching abilities through leading a mock lesson. 

• K-12 substitute teacher and school building substitute teacher candidates will take part in a virtual group interview led by the Temporary Instructional Staffing team.   
• ECE substitute teacher candidates will have the option of scheduling an in-person or virtual interview with the ECE School Support team.   

If a candidate passes the interview stage, they will advance to the next stage in the hiring process.  

• K-12 and ECE substitute teacher candidates will be selected for hire 
• School building substitute teachers will be approved, and their applications will be visible for school leaders to view. Candidates in the approved pool may be invited to interview by schools interested in selecting them for hire.  

Onboarding and Clearance Process 

Once a candidate is selected for hire, they will receive an email outlining the onboarding and clearance requirements for the position, outlined below: 

1. DCPS Prospective Employee Clearance Application 

   a. The Clearance Application includes a tuberculosis risk assessment. Candidates may be asked to provide a negative TB test, based on their responses to the assessment. 
    

2. Background Clearance 

   a. The background clearance includes fingerprinting and a Sex Offender Registry Check 
    

3. Drug Test  

4. Upload Required Documents to a candidate portal or email them to the Temporary Instructional Staffing Team at [email protected]. Required documents include:  

   a. A completed Form I-9 (Section 1) 
   b. Forms of identification that prove the candidate’s authorization to work in the US, and their identity. A full list of acceptable documents can be found here: Form I-9 Acceptable Documents | USCIS 
   c. A transcript indicating the candidate meets the minimum education requirement of 60 completed college credits.  
   
   Note: Candidates who have transcripts from institutions outside of United States must have those studies evaluated to determine if their preparation is equivalent to 60 college credits or more in the U.S.  

 

Hiring 

After completing all onboarding and clearance requirements, candidates will be sent an official DCPS offer letter. Within a few days of accepting their offer letter, K-12 and ECE substitute teachers will be emailed instructions for registering with SmartFind Express, the automated system that substitute teachers use to view, accept, and manage job assignments at our schools. School building substitute teachers will receive assignment instructions directly from school leadership. 

Compensation

Here at DCPS, substitute teachers receive some of the most competitive pay in the region! Please see our compensation structure below: 

School Building Substitute Teachers	$25 per hour ($200/full day)
K-12 and ECE Substitute Teachers	$20 per hour ($160/full day; $80/half day)
*Long-term Substitute Teachers	$25 per hour ($200/full day)

*K-12 and ECE substitute teachers earn the “long-term” substitute teacher status and pay rate of $25/hr or $200/full day of work AFTER working thirty consecutive full days in one or a series of different assignments. Long-term substitute teachers will receive a higher rate of pay ($200/full day) beginning on the thirty-first day of continuous service.  

• Please note: If there is a break in service of six consecutive school days or more, their pay rate would revert to the standard rate of pay of $20 per hour; from there, a substitute teacher would need to accumulate 30 consecutive days of work in one or a series of assignments to receive the long-term substitute teacher rate again.  

Our substitute teachers are integral to the success of our school programs. By investing in our substitute teachers, we hope that with the recent change it demonstrates DCPS’ commitment to better schools for students and their families. 

As of March 1, 2025, DCPS K-12 and ECE Substitute Teachers will no longer be compensated for participating in School-Led PD Days and/or Preservice Days. This includes: 

• School-Led PD Days 
• School-Led PD Days/Records Days 
• Preservice Days before the school year begins 

Participation in School-Led PD Days is voluntary and will not include compensation.  

Substitute Teachers will continue to be invited to participate in District-Led PD Days (managed by the DCPS Professional Learning team). Compensation for District-Led PD Days will be based on: 

• Completion of sessions specifically assigned to Substitute Teachers. 
• Response to the end-of-day survey distributed by the DCPS Professional Learning team. 

Payment 

Substitute teachers are paid bi-weekly, following the DC Government Office of Payroll Services Payroll Schedule: DCPS Substitute Teacher Pay Period Schedule - 2025 

Assignments

School Building Substitute Teachers will report to work at the school where they are hired each day of the school year, including professional development days. Their assignments and responsibilities will be communicated to them by school leadership.  

K-12 and ECE Substitute Teachers have the flexibility to accept or decline job assignments, using SmartFind Express, based on their schedule and preferences.  Substitute teachers are only permitted to report to a school if they are assigned to a job in SmartFind Express.  

Substitute teachers are expected to report to work before or at the start time listed on their job assignment in SmartFind Express.  School contact information can be found on the School Profiles site here: School Profiles Home.  

Substitute teachers must go through security, present their DCPS ID badge, and sign in at the school office when they arrive for their assignment. They must also present their SmartFind Express Job ID number. The school administrators can answer questions regarding sign-in procedures and the substitute teachers' assignments.

A substitute teacher may be asked to change or accept assignments outside of their preferences. They may also be asked to cover classes during a planning period. It is not expected that a substitute teacher be able to teach new or unfamiliar material but rather make every attempt to follow the lesson plan and manage student behavior in the most positive way possible. Substitute teachers serving in Early Childhood Education (ECE) classrooms will often have another DCPS employee (teacher or aide) in the classroom for support. They will also receive ECE-specific training in the areas of health and safety, active supervision, curriculum, and early childhood best practices.  

Locations

Substitutes have the option of receiving daily job offers from schools all throughout the district, or they may work only at schools convenient to them. For a list of all our schools, please visit our school profiles page.

Questions

If you have any questions about Substitute Teaching with DC Public Schools, please feel free to email us at [email protected] or call us at (202) 442-4090.

Notice of Drug Testing

This position is a safety-sensitive position. All safety-sensitive positions are subject to mandatory pre-employment drug testing in accordance with the Child and Youth, Safety and Health Omnibus Act of 2004. If you are tentatively selected for this position, you will be required to submit to testing for illegal drug use prior to employment, and your employment shall be contingent upon negative test results. If you are appointed into this position, you shall be subject to mandatory random drug and alcohol testing throughout your employment.