Substitute Teaching Program

In partnership with Otsego Northern Catskills Board of Cooperative Educational Services (ONC BOCES) and Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego Board of Cooperative Educational Services (DCMO BOCES), students at SUNY Oneonta have the opportunity to substitute teach in area school districts during the school year. This is a great way to get field experience with children at various ages and grade levels and get paid by the school district.

Requirements

• You need to have your own transportation, or commute with others who are also ‘subbing’ at the same school district.
• You cannot substitute teach until you have your fingerprinting done.
  • Students in the teacher education program:
    1. set up your TEACH account
    2. be sure your fingerprinting is up to date and in your TEACH account
       • Fingerprinting is done through MorphoTrust/IDEMIA
       • The student (applicant) applies for ‘Certification’ fingerprinting (not ‘employment’)
  • Students not in the teacher education program may contact ONC BOCES for fingerprinting information.
• Some districts require you to have the COVID-19 vaccination.

Employment Process

Each school district has its own employment process for substitute teachers. Some districts require the applicant to apply through the Online Application System for Educators, or OLAS. Others require the application to be mailed or emailed directly to the school. Please check the school district’s website:

• ONC BOCES
• DCMO BOCES

Reminders for your substitute teaching application

• For those of you who are in the teacher education program, whether early childhood, elementary or secondary, on your application it is highly recommended to state that you are in the program.
• Make sure to provide up-to-date contact information (name, email, phone number, etc.) in your References section. School districts must be able to easily contact your references.

After you submit your application and it gets processed through the school district’s human resources, it then goes to the school board for approval. This is critical. All school board meetings, regardless of district, are held mid-month. Once you are approved to ‘sub’, you are then put on the school district’s substitute teacher list.

Once You're Approved to 'Sub'

Each school district handles ‘sub’ openings differently. Some districts require the substitute teacher to check a website that has weekly subbing offerings and the substitute teacher signs up. Other districts call the substitute teachers directly. It is up to each applicant to check with the school district’s Human Resources department on how to proceed.