If you live in Texas — or are relocating there — and are looking for an opportunity to enjoy flexible, meaningful work in your community, perhaps you should apply to be a substitute teacher. There are so many reasons to become a substitute teacher, whether it’s a temporary transition, a life-long career path, or somewhere in between.
Substitute teaching fits in people’s lives in a myriad of ways. It’s a natural next step for budding educators who have completed their student-teaching assignments; it’s a great transition into the workforce for those who have recently graduated or have taken time off; it’s the perfect option for anyone looking to broaden professional skills or pivot to an encore career.
MORE GUIDES TO BECOMING A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER: New Jersey | New York | California | Arizona | Washington D.C. | Illinois
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Is substitute teaching right for you?
Benefits of substitute teaching in Texas
Do you need a certificate to sub in Texas?
How to complete a background check
Is substitute teaching right for you?
Subbing can be a rewarding career choice, whether you’re brand new to the workforce, looking to hone your skills, or if you need something flexible to help pay the bills.
With substitute teaching you can:
- Make a difference: Subs are called into classrooms for reasons ranging from instances of a teacher on an unexpected leave, to schools searching for new permanent staff, to school districts facing teacher shortages. You can provide support to the students who need it most.
- Choose your schedule: As a sub with an organization like Swing Education, you can work when you want and where you want. Subbing can fit easily around your schedule, whether you’ve got an additional job, family, or lifestyle commitments that you want to maintain.
- Pick your classroom: As a sub, you won’t be limited to a certain subject or school. You can visit the classrooms that are most appealing to you and experience teaching students of different ages and skill levels.
- Cultivate your skills: With all of this variety, you can improve your skills as an educator and get the experience you need to meet any teaching challenge. And even if teaching isn’t your main goal, subbing can help you gain in-demand transferable skills, like problem-solving, written and oral communication, and adaptability.
- Prepare for a permanent position: Subbing is a great stepping stone to becoming a permanent teacher. You’ll get an education in the character of the schools you visit and build crucial relationships with local communities.
Benefits of substitute teaching in Texas
Competitive Pay
Substitute teaching in Texas offers competitive daily rates that vary by district, school type, and assignment length — with larger urban districts like Houston, Dallas, and Austin ISD often paying more. Check with your local district for current rates.
Freedom
In addition to the flexible work schedule substitute teaching offers in any state, Texas has a decentralized education system, so qualifications for substitute teachers are determined by individual school boards rather than the state government (this is also the procedure for private schools). This means that you can simply check with your local school district to determine what you need to become a substitute teacher.
High Demand
Texas, like every state in the U.S., is struggling with a substitute teacher shortage. In particular, Texas schools have a teaching shortage in the subject areas of math, science, and bilingual/ESL in both elementary and secondary classrooms. As a result, your skills and knowledge will go a long way in Texas!
Requirements to Substitute Teach in Texas
To work as a substitute teacher through Swing Education in Texas, you’ll need to meet our minimum requirements. Some assignments, schools, or districts may require additional qualifications based on the role and student population served.
Minimum Requirements
✔ Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university
✔ All TEA Clearance requirements: Fingerprint background check, Do Not Hire Registry, Affidavit
✔ Completion of Swing’s set-up process and requirements including criminal background check
Additional Requirements for Specialized or Certified Roles
Gain access to more assignment opportunities by meeting the qualifications required for certain specialized teaching roles. Requirements may include:
+ Active Texas teaching certification
+ Special education experience or qualifications
+ Subject-matter expertise or relevant teaching experience
+ CPR and First Aid certification
+ Early childhood education (ECE) units, endorsements, certifications, or qualifications
+ District-required training, orientation, or compliance documentation
Important Note
Requirements may vary by school, district, and assignment type. Additional qualifications may be needed for long-term, credentialed, special education, or other specialized teaching roles.
Do you need a certificate to sub in Texas?
Not necessarily. Because education in Texas is decentralized, it’s up to individual districts to determine qualifications for their substitute teachers, and there is no state certification or permit.
That being said, if you do have a credential, there is an option to submit it to your Swing account! Some school districts post jobs that do require a permit, so if you have one, go ahead and post it to your Swing account under “account settings”, or, submit it during onboarding.
The Texas Education Agency (or TEA) website has a useful School District Locator Map to help you find which schools are in your district and which districts you are closest to.
How do you complete a background check?
While other qualifications vary from district to district, you’ll notice that all of them require a criminal background check. This is true for charter and private schools as well. Student safety is of the utmost priority in Texas, and all school employees must pass a background check.
A background check includes but isn’t limited to:
- Any federal or state criminal history
- Reports in the international database of teacher misconduct
- Any history of complaints or flags from individual school districts
A background check is run using fingerprints. In order to substitute teach, whether through Swing or not, you will need to get your fingerprints done through the Texas Education Agency (TEA), or already have them on file.
If you have already been fingerprinted with TEA, this information should be readily available to whichever school or district you choose to work with. Be sure to check what additional requirements you may need to meet (i.e. drug testing or health screenings), as it varies district by district.
When working directly with Swing, we’ll verify your fingerprints and complete an education verification and background check through Checkr. After your information is verified, and you’ve signed and acknowledged any remaining online paperwork, you should be all set to teach with Swing!
(For more information on this process, see this help article.)
How Swing helps substitutes in Texas
If you have a bachelor’s degree and are ready to substitute teach in Texas, sign up with Swing Education. Swing helps substitutes earn great rates, when and where they want!
When you sub with Swing you will:
- Access more opportunities with Swing’s network of district, charter, and private schools
- Get paid weekly
- Enjoy Swing’s excellent Resource Center, which includes helpful information on classroom management, professional development, teaching strategies, and more
Signing up is easy: It takes just two minutes to fill out this background questionnaire. Once you complete the form, our team will guide you through next steps with a confirmation email.
