How to become a substitute teacher in Washington, D.C.

Substitute teaching is rewarding work that offers a flexible schedule. If you want to become a substitute teacher in Washington, D.C., now is the time. An ongoing teacher shortage has created greater demand.

The Kelly Education team works with hundreds of school districts to recruit quality substitute teachers across the country–and in Washington, D.C. 

Below, we review each of the requirements to substitute teach in Washington, D.C. 

Minimum Washington, D.C. requirements, at a glance*: 

• Certification: None required 

• Education: 60 or more college credit hours 

• Employment verification to work in the U.S. 

• Fingerprint-based background check 

• National Sex Offender Registry clearance 

• TB risk assessment 

• Drug test 

In addition to the Washington, D.C. requirements, Kelly Education requires: 

• Pre-hire training 

• New hire orientation 

A deeper dive into substitute teacher requirements.

Washington, D.C. has clear steps and a streamlined process for becoming a substitute teacher. It doesn’t require special credentialing, like a substitute teacher certification, license, or permit.  

That said, getting into the classroom depends on the time it takes for you and third parties to provide the required information to move forward. 

Certification.

As of 2016, Washington, D.C. no longer requires special credentialing for substitute teachers. Therefore, you don’t need to apply for a special permit, license, or certification to substitute teach. 

Experience & education verification.

Washington, D.C. does require candidates to have completed at least 60 college credit hours. To verify your education, you must provide your official or unofficial transcripts. It’s best to request transcripts from your institution early in the application process. It can take up to a week to receive transcripts, which typically cost a nominal fee that ranges from $10 to $15. 

In addition, candidates must have one to two years of classroom experience working with students. For early childhood education (ECE) candidates, the one to two years of required experience must be in an early childhood education classroom setting. Candidates who are retired teachers automatically meet the experience requirement. Candidates with less than one year of experience must submit a professional reference letter within three business days of submitting their application. 

Employment verification.

All Washington, D.C., applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. To verify work authorization, you will need to complete an I-9 form. To complete this step, you’ll submit the I-9 form with valid identification credentials. If you work with Kelly Education, our recruiter will help you complete the form, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Background check and fingerprinting.

Candidates selected for hire are provided a District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) Clearance Application. As part of the application, candidates must receive clearance from the National Sex Offender Registry (SOR). You’ll also need to schedule fingerprinting at a FieldPrint location. Once you receive DCPS-specific fingerprinting clearance, it’s valid for two years. There is no cost associated with the background check. 

As part of the DCPS Clearance Application process, candidates must also complete a tuberculosis risk assessment. If it is determined that the candidate is at risk for TB, they will be asked to take a TB test with the physician or clinic of their choice. 

Candidates must also pass a 5-panel drug test with a specified DCPS vendor. The test must be taken within two weeks of being selected for hire and remains valid for 90 days. 

Training.

Early Childhood Education (ECE) substitute teacher applicants are required to watch ECE-specific training and complete an online assessment. Otherwise, the District of Columbia doesn’t have a required training program for substitute teachers.  

However, Kelly Education requires all our candidates to complete substitute teacher training. Training is required regardless of the candidate’s experience level. The free training is done online through ClassSmarts and takes about 1.5 hours to complete. 

Kelly Education also requires New Hire Orientation training, which covers Kelly Education and school district policies and procedures. Orientation is a one-hour online paid training. 

Getting started with Kelly Education and our school district partners. 

Congratulations on considering this rewarding career choice. You now have insights into what is required to become a substitute teacher in Washington, D.C.  

If you’re interested in working in the Washington, D.C. area, fill out our interest form to get started. From there, a Kelly Education recruiter will reach out to you to answer questions and explain the next steps in the application process.  

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