BoardDocs® Policy: 511-7 REGULATION - Substitute Teachers and Substitute Teacher Assistants (2024)

The Superintendent of Schools has temporarily waived the enactment of Regulation 511-7 and instituted the emergency provisions outlined in Notice 511-7-2.

Human Resources

Regulation 511-7

Substitute Teachers and Substitute Teacher Assistants

1. Substitute Requirements
   1. Non-degreed substitute teachers shall have earned a minimum of 48 college credit hours from an accredited college or university.
   2. Degreed substitute teachers shall hold a bachelor’s degree, or higher.
   3. Virginia (VA) licensed substitute teachers shall hold a current VA teaching license or have retired from Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) as a teacher.
   4. Substitute teacher assistants are required to be at least 18 years old and have earned a high school diploma or a General Educational Diploma (GED).
   5. Exceptions to this section may be granted with approval from the Director of Human Resources (or designee).
2. Assignments and Pay
   1. Substitute Teachers
      1. Degreed and VA licensed substitute teachers are eligible to work short-term, long-term, and temporary teacher assignments.
      2. Non-Degreed substitute teachers are eligible to work short-term assignments. If the substitute has a record of relevant paid experience and satisfactory performance working with children in a prekindergarten to high school age range as determined by Human Resources, they may be eligible to work long-term and temporary teacher assignments with approval of the Director of Human Resources.
      3. Short-term substitute assignments are up to 10 days in length for a teacher on leave.
      4. Long-term substitute assignments are 11 days or longer in length for a teacher on leave. Substitute teachers must complete 10 consecutive substitute days at the regular substitute rate. Beginning on the 11th day, the applicable long-term substitute pay becomes effective. On a case-by-case basis, the budget holder has the option to allow one additional day excused or prearranged absence and extend the 10-day requirement one extra day.
      5. Temporary teacher assignments are up to 90 instructional days in length for a teacher vacancy, where no permanent teacher is assigned to the classroom. If there is a need for the substitute to continue to fill in for the teacher vacancy beyond the 90 days, approval by the Division Superintendent and the Superintendent of Public Instruction is required.
      6. A full-day substitute teacher schedule is a 7.5-hour workday to include a 30-minute unpaid duty-free lunch (7 work hours).
      7. Substitute teachers shall be scheduled for at least half-day assignments.
      8. Substitutes teachers shall be paid the hourly rate stipulated in the current Budget Manual for hours worked.
      9. On delayed openings and early releases substitute teachers shall be paid a minimum of three hours.
   2. Substitute Teacher Assistants
      1. A full-day substitute teacher assistant is a 7-hour workday to include a
      2. 30-minute unpaid duty-free lunch (6.5 work hours).
      3. Substitute teacher assistants shall be scheduled for at least half-day assignments.
      4. Substitute teacher assistants shall be paid an hourly rate as stipulated in the current Budget Manual for hours worked.
      5. On delayed openings and early releases, substitute teacher assistants shall be paid a minimum of three hours.
   3. Substitutes Teachers and Substitute Teacher Assistants
      1. Substitutes are not permitted to sign in or commence work before their normal starting time or continue working after their normal ending time without prior approval of their supervisor.
      2. All hours worked must be recorded on an approved timesheet or through the approved electronic time keeping system. Failure to record time or falsification of time records may result in discipline up to and including dismissal.
      3. An administrator may reassign a substitute within the building at any time. If a difference in pay exists between the two positions, the substitute must be compensated for the higher of the two positions.
      4. Substitutes may be released and barred from accepting future assignments in that school at the discretion of the building administrator.
      5. If for whatever reason the school no longer needs a substitute to fill in for a position, the school must cancel the job at least an hour before the start of the substitute assignment. If this does not occur and the substitute reports to work, the substitute shall be given the option to perform other duties as assigned and be paid for the hours initially requested or choose not to work and receive no pay for the day.
      6. Substitutes are expected to report on time and remain at work for the duration of the assignment. In the event that a substitute reports late or leaves an assignment early without approval, compensation will be based on the number of hours worked.
      7. In the event a job is accepted after the start of the assignment, reasonable time will be given for the substitute to commute to the assignment.

         Exceptions to this section may be granted with approval from the Director of Human Resources (or designee).

3. Benefits
   1. Substitutes are not eligible to participate in most employee benefit programs. However, they may choose to participate in the PWCS Supplemental Retirement Plan.
   2. Temporary staff working the equivalent of full-time hours, as defined by the Affordable Care Act, may be eligible for health insurance.
4. Conduct
   1. Substitutes are employed on an as-needed basis and are “at will” employees. An administrator may discontinue services of a substitute with or without cause.
   2. Substitutes are to conduct themselves in a professional manner and abide by the standards of conduct established for all PWCS employees, and all PWCS policies and regulations.
   3. If a substitute’s performance is unsatisfactory, the manager shall inform the substitute. If a letter is written to the substitute, a copy of the letter is to be forwarded to the Human Resources Department and placed in the substitute’s personnel file.
   4. The Director of Human Resources (or designee) shall notify the substitute if the decision is made to remove the substitute from the substitute pool.
5. Management
   1. The principal or his/her designee shall be responsible for the orientation, training, assignment, and monitoring of substitutes performance.
   2. Regularly assigned teachers and teacher assistants shall not be required to substitute for other teachers except in cases of sudden and unforeseen circ*mstances.
   3. When classroom teachers and specialists are absent from their instructional duties, every reasonable effort shall be made to replace such teachers with the best qualified substitute teachers.
   4. At the beginning of each school year, principals shall inform employees of the procedure to be used in reporting their unavailability for work. Once a teacher has reported his/her unavailability, it shall be the responsibility of the principal or designee to arrange for a substitute.

The Chief Human Resources Officer (or designee) is responsible for implementing and monitoring this regulation.

This regulation and any related policy shall be reviewed at least every five years and revised as needed.