With flexibility, no training, and reasonable pay, substitute teaching is a helpful temporary job. But the process to receiving the New Jersey substitute teaching license is longer than it appears, and doing the steps in this order makes the most of the waiting time.
Substitute Applicant Paperwork
Applicants should begin by getting the paperwork from the desired schools. The school paperwork will inform the applicant of everything that needs to be filled out, mailed, and tested. The applicant should look through this packet and first do the steps that take the longest and involve the most waiting (such as scheduling appointments), and finish with the steps that take the least waiting (such as filling out the school application).
The applicant only needs to go through the all the steps for the certification once, making copies of all the paperwork as it happens. It is easiest to do this while also applying to one school. Then, he/she should wait for the certificate of substitute teaching to arrive, make copies of the certificate, and send that with the school application to all other desired schools.
Make Appointments for Tests and Fingerprints
Sagem Morpho – This is the fingerprinting appointment, which usually needs to be made a month in advance because the space fills up. Once the fingerprints are taken, they are sent in and the applicant receives a letter of their criminal history.
Tuberculosis test – This is a test to make sure the applicant does not have a highly infectious disease that can be spread through the air. The space for this appointment is not as tight as it is for Sagem Morpho; therefore, the appointment can be made the week of or a week in advance.
Request College Transcripts
Sometimes it takes a while for the transcript to get into the right hands. It can't just go to the school's Board of Education address; it has to be in the care of the right person. If it is not addressed to the right person, the transcript may have to be resent.
First, call the board of education to find out who to put the transcript in the care of. Once the request is made, the applicant should check the status of the request ("processing," or "sent,") from the college, and then call the schools it was sent to, to see if it was received and put on file.
Paperwork and Receipts
Applicants need to fill out the paperwork in the application packet. That may include:
- School application
- Oath of Allegiance - This needs to be signed by a notary, which is usually available in the Board of Education office.
- W2
- All other forms
Also be sure to get the necessary money orders. There are at least two necessary money orders, which will be specified in the packet given to the applicant. Money orders can be obtained at post offices or certain grocery stores.
Copy All Documents
Make copies of every document received in the mail, every receipt, and every paper step of the process for personal records.
- Sagem Morpho application/online booking and receipt
- Tuberculosis test results
- Criminal history letter that arrives in the mail
- College transcript (if also sent to the applicant)
- Substitute Certification
- Oath of Allegiance
An applicant should not put off any steps or procrastinate, even if he/she does not plan on substituting for a while. The reason is because necessary forms often get updated, voiding the previous form, and causing the applicant to repeat one or several steps. Once one starts the process, the faster one finishes it, the better.
Elisabeth Sharber - Elisabeth Sharber is a Messiah College graduate with a BA in English, and minors in politics and psychology. She is currently job ...
