How to become a substitute teacher in Hawaii.

Are you interested in becoming a substitute teacher in Hawaii? Congratulations! You’re embarking on a meaningful journey, and you’ve come to the right place to learn about the steps. 

Kelly Education is a national leader in hiring substitute teachers for school districts across the country—including Hawaii. We help thousands of people find work in schools each year.

Below is a general guideline of requirements to substitute teach in Hawaii. Bear in mind that some charter, private, and public-school districts may require other qualifications. 

Minimum Hawaii state substitute teacher requirements, at a glance*: 

• Class 1 Substitute Teacher Certification – High school diploma or equivalent and training program 
• Class 2 Substitute Teacher Certification – Bachelor’s degree 
• Training: State-Approved Teacher Education (SATE) program 
• Employment verification to work in the U.S. 
• Fingerprinting 
• Background check 
• TB test 

In addition to Hawaii state requirements, Kelly Education requires: 

• Pre-hire training 
• New hire orientation 

A deeper dive into substitute teacher requirements.

The process of becoming a substitute teacher in Hawaii is straight forward, but it takes time to go through each step, so you’ll want to plan accordingly.  

When applying for a position at a Kelly Education partner school, our team will support and guide you to navigate the needed qualifications. 

Certification.

Class 1 – High school diploma or equivalent and complete a State-Approved Teacher Education (SATE) program 

Class 2 – Bachelor’s degree and completed a State-Approved Teacher Education (SATE) program 

Class 3 – Licensed teacher or a teacher (including current/retired DOE teachers) who complete a State-Approved Teacher Education (SATE) program. 

The substitute teacher certification training program (SATE) can be obtained through several outlets listed on the state’s substitute teacher webpage. The certification is valid for five years. 

Education verification.

You will need to obtain your official academic transcripts. Contact your college, university, or high school to request them. Remember, it can take 3 to 5 days to receive transcripts. Schools typically charge a $10 – $15 processing fee. 

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.

Background checks of school employees helps to ensure the safety of students. The state of Hawaii requires fingerprinting as part of its background check process, which is done at the school’s District office. 

The cost of fingerprinting is around $55 to $75. You should allow up to two weeks for your background check and fingerprinting clearance. 

In addition to the state’s requirements, Kelly Education will run a National Sex Offender registry check and county criminal check on all our applicants. 

Medical.

To substitute teach in Hawaii, you must have a tuberculosis (TB) test clearance. The test is valid if it’s completed within one year of the application date. 

Training.

As mentioned above, Hawaii requires substitute teachers without a teacher’s license to complete a Substitute Teacher Certification training program.  

Kelly Education also requires all candidates, regardless of level, to complete a free, online training called ClassSmarts. It takes about 1.5 hours. 

Once hired, we require a one hour paid New Hire Orientation training. This online seminar focuses on Kelly Education and school district policies and procedures. 

Getting started with Kelly Education and our school district partners.

Now that you know what it takes to become a substitute teacher in Hawaii, 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 additional requirements, in addition to state requirements.