How to Become a Substitute Teacher in Volusia County, Florida

Volusia County, Florida, has 85 schools and more than 63,000 students, according to the county schools website in 2019. Continue reading to learn how to become a substitute teacher in this county and what the job entails.

Volusia County, Florida, Substitute Teacher Career Overview

Substitute teachers fill in when regular teachers are absent, including for subjects like art, music and physical education. Lesson plans, attendance lists, relevant handbooks and seating assignments should be provided to Volusia County substitute teachers by the teachers they are covering for. Substitute teachers should provide the regular teacher with a description of the work that was completed in class. Find out about requirements and statistics for substitutes in Volusia County.

Education Required	At least a high school diploma or GED
Exams/Certifications Required	Substitute Teacher and Retention (STAR) training
Salary Rate (2018-19)	About $9-15/hour, depending on education level*

Source: *Volusia County School District Compensation Manual

Substitute Requirements

Besides needing at least a high school diploma or GED, substitute teachers in Volusia County also have to attend the Substitute Teacher and Retention (STAR) training. During the 2018-2019 school year, these trainings were held regularly, almost every month, and lasted for one or two days, depending on the month. Applicants who have had experience teaching, including student teaching, may not have to complete the STAR requirement.

There are also employment screenings to become a substitute teacher. The county will email substitutes about these screenings when the time comes.

Salary Information

The higher the education someone has, the higher salary they'll receive as a substitute teacher in Volusia County. The pay is as follows for the fiscal year 2018-19:

High school graduate - $9.54/hour
Associate's degree - $10.74/hour
Bachelor's degree - $12.33/hour
Master's degree - $13.22/hour
Retired county teacher - $15.09/hour

In addition, substitute teachers who are certified teachers with a bachelor's degree will get paid a rate based on the salary of first-year teachers if they work more than 30 days in a row. The work day in an elementary school is 7 hours; in a middle or high school it is 7.5 hours.

Application Process

Substitutes must fill out an application online at the Volusia County Schools website. To complete the online application, substitutes will need to provide an email address, job history and a reference. They'll also need to submit official college transcripts, a copy of their teaching certificate (if applicable) and score reports for out-of-state teaching exams. Once the online application is completed, they can see if there are openings for substitute teachers and apply for that specific job.

If they get the job, they will also be required to submit copies of their photo ID and Social Security card.

How to Get Placements

Once substitute teachers are officially hired, they accept classroom placements through an online system. Substitute teachers should make sure their availability is always current and check the system regularly for placements. In this system, regular teachers can put the names of specific substitute teachers to place in their classrooms. The substitutes can then accept the jobs. If the specified substitute teacher doesn't accept the assignment, other substitute teachers will be called to fill it.