How to become a substitute teacher in Minnesota.

Substitute teaching is a rewarding career as you have the ability to motivate, educate, and inspire students. When you become  a substitute teacher in Minnesota, you also have a flexible schedule and can decide which grade levels and subjects you want to teach. 

Teachers On Call, a Kelly Education company, is the expert in recruiting and hiring Minnesota substitute teachers. We are well-versed in the state requirements and are excited to help you get started if you choose to work in one of our 100 partner districts across the state. 

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) requires that substitute teachers obtain a license. Let’s take a closer look at the minimum requirements—but remember that school districts may ask for additional qualifications. 

Minimum Minnesota state requirements at a glance*: 

• Certification: A Minnesota substitute teacher license 

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or active enrollment in a state-approved teacher preparation program (with completed student teaching experience) 

• Employment verification to work in the U.S. 

• Fingerprinting 

• Background check 

In addition to Minnesota’s state requirements, Teachers On Call, a Kelly Education company, require the following: 

• Pre-hire training 

A deeper dive into substitute teacher requirements.

The MDE outlines two major substitute teacher certifications: the short-call substitute teaching license and the lifetime substitute teaching license. 

• The short-call substitute teacher license requires either a bachelor’s degree or active enrollment in a state-approved teacher preparation program (with completed student teaching experience). It is valid for three years and allows recipients to substitute for 20 consecutive days in the same classroom. 

• The lifetime substitute teaching license is only available to retired licensed educators actively receiving a retirement allocation for their prior teaching service. Lifetime substitute teachers can cover extended teacher absences beyond 20 days. 

One outlier is a pilot short-call substitute license. Candidates complete a joint application with their public school district to qualify for this special license. These applicants need only an associate degree or a high school diploma or equivalent combined with one year of professional experience in their hiring district. All pilot licenses expire 6/30/2025 with, currently, no plans to offer renewal. 

Each license requires a formal application to the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB), proof of education, a background check, and an initial processing fee of $90.25. This fee includes the cost of the state’s required fingerprint card. Once the PELSB receives your background screening results, the licensure process takes about 4 – 6 weeks to complete. 

Education verification.

To verify completion of education, contact your undergraduate institution to request official copies of your transcripts. This request may take up to a week to process and typically includes a small fee. So, be sure to build this into your timeframe. 

Background check and fingerprinting. 

As noted above, the MDE requires all substitute teacher candidates to complete a background check and fingerprint screening. The PELSB outlines strict guidance about how to request your fingerprint card and where to complete authorized fingerprinting. You’ll then return your card to the PELSB, which will forward your fingerprints to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) for a formal background check. Candidates must clear the background check before the PELSB will move forward with their licensure application. The fee is included in the cost of your initial licensure application. 

Additionally, if you work for a Teachers On Call partner district, we run a National Sex Offender Registry and county criminal check on our substitute teacher candidates. This step takes one to three days. 

Employment verification.

All employees complete a federal I-9 form to verify their eligibility to work in the U.S. This document is easy to complete and involves submitting valid forms of identification along with the I-9. Our team will help you with this if you work at one of our partner districts. 

Training.

Minnesota doesn’t mandate any supplemental training for substitute teacher candidates. However, Teachers On Call recognizes that not everyone brings the same experience into the classroom. Therefore, we require all applicants to complete our pre-hire ClassSmarts training. Available entirely online, this free course covers essential topics like teacher ethics and classroom management best practices. 

We also offer a non-mandatory New Hire Orientation module. This seminar outlines our policies and expectations, including items like scheduling work assignments, managing classroom situations, and how you’ll be paid. 

Getting started with Teachers On Call, a Kelly Education company.

Are you ready to take the first step in your teaching journey? We need great substitute teachers to keep Minnesota students on track when their teacher is absent. 

Just fill out our application, and a recruiter will contact you soon with details on the next steps to becoming a substitute teacher in one of our 100 Minnesota partner school districts. 

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