How to become a substitute teacher in Delaware.

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Want to lead students and make a difference in your community? Delaware makes it relatively easy to start substitute teaching in its schools—that’s because there are no special certifications or licensure to become a substitute teacher. However, there are several steps to take before you can start working in a classroom.

Kelly Education works with hundreds of districts throughout the U.S. — including Delaware — to hire quality substitute teachers. So, we’re experts in helping candidates to navigate the process. In this post, we cover the requirements to become a substitute teacher in Delaware—and how to get started with Kelly Education.

Minimum Delaware state requirements, at a glance*:

Certification: None required
Education: High school diploma or equivalent
Age: 18 years old
Employment verification to work in the U.S.
Fingerprinting
Background check
TB test

In addition to Delaware state requirements, Kelly Education requires:

Pre-hire training
New hire orientation

A deeper dive into substitute teacher requirements.

Delaware does not issue any type of credentialing, like special certificates, permits, or licenses, for substitute teachers. However, it does still take time and patience to complete each step of the hiring process. Allow anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before you’re cleared to begin work. Let’s look at each step.

Education verification.

The minimum education level to substitute teach in Delaware is a high school diploma or equivalent. Some districts have additional requirements, like completing a certain number of college hours or a bachelor’s degree.

You’ll need to request verification of your highest form of education. Depending on your circumstances, this might include your official college transcripts, a teaching license, a copy of your high school diploma, or a copy of your GED. Many institutions charge a fee for education verification, ranging from $10 to $15. Allow three to five days to receive the type of verification you requested.

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 working with Kelly Education, we’ll guide you through this process.

Background check and fingerprinting.

Before working at a school, the state requires employees to be cleared to work with children. Fingerprint screening is required for all applicants, including a certified State of Delaware and Federal Criminal History check.

Fingerprint instructions are district specific. The school district or Kelly Education will share instructions at the beginning of the onboarding process. Candidates must complete this process for each school district where they want to work. In other words, if you want to work in multiple districts, you’ll provide fingerprinting documentation multiple times using the required district codes. The fee for fingerprinting is $85.

A Delaware Child Protection Registry check is also required. You’ll need to sign a consent form for the check to be performed. Kelly Education will also run a National Sex Offender registry check for all our candidates.

Candidates should allow up to two weeks for all elements of the background check and fingerprinting process to clear.

Medical.

Delaware state law requires school employees, including substitute teachers, to complete a TB test and provide verification from a healthcare provider or the state public health department that they tested negative for TB. A physical is also required. The TB test and physical must be completed within twelve months of the application date. Documentation must be signed by a healthcare professional.

Some school districts also require a pre-employment drug screening as part of the hiring process.

Training.

No statewide training is required to become a substitute teacher in Delaware. However, Kelly Education believes training is important for all candidates to ensure they’re ready to enter the classroom and succeed. We require substitute teachers who work with us to complete our ClassSmarts online pre-hire training. The free training covers a range of topics to facilitate the transition into the classroom. Topics include classroom management techniques, legal obligations of educators, and teaching ethics.

We also require new hires to complete a New Hire Orientation module. It covers Kelly Education and district-specific procedures and policies. New Hire Orientation lasts one hour and is paid.

Getting started with Kelly Education and our school district partners.

You’ve taken the first step to becoming a substitute teacher in Delaware by educating yourself about the process. Are you ready to take the next step?

Fill out our brief interest form and one of our recruiters will contact you to answer your questions about our substitute teacher jobs near you!

* Information subject to change. This is a general guideline. School districts may have more requirements, in addition to state requirements.