Prince William County Public Schools

Substitute Teacher Application Instructions

• Required: A completed PWCS Substitute/Temporary Application, dated within the last 6 months that includes current or recently completed Work/Volunteer Experience;
• Required: Completed Professional Reference form(s) from recent/current supervisor(s). To meet this requirement, the reference must have a correlation to the work experience/supervisor listed in the application.
  • If a valid email address is included in your employment application for the supervisor(s) you are requesting a reference from, the system will automatically email them an electronic reference link to complete it (this is the preferred method).
  • Another option is to provide your current/former supervisor a copy of the paper reference form. They may complete and forward the reference form to the PWCS Human Resources Department via one of the methods listed at the bottom of the form.
• Required: Copy of official or unofficial transcript(s) reflecting completion of 48 or more semester college credit hours from an accredited institution, or ParaPro Test with a score of 455 or higher.
  • If you attended school outside of the United States; to meet the requirement for a substitute teacher position, you will need to upload a transcript evaluation from an approved credential evaluator. The substitute position does not require a course-by-course evaluation. Please refer to the link for a list of approved credential evaluators.
• Optional: If you hold a current Virginia teaching license or have retired from PWCS and have an expired VA teaching license, please provide a copy.

Once all documents listed as required above are received, the office of Substitute and Temporary Employment will review the candidate's documentation (application, references, and transcripts) and conduct the background check.

Partial application packages will not be reviewed.

Helpful Links

• Full substitute teacher application process (PDF)

Schools shall continue to use the sub call system to fill substitute needs. If a substitute is not secured, a certified or classified staff member may be assigned to cover the need.

Who is eligible to receive pay for covering as a substitute teacher?

Teachers, and other certified staff members (e.g., librarians, counselors, ITC), will be eligible for additional pay when they meet the following conditions:

• Hold a current certified instructional contract with PWCS;
• Serve as a substitute teacher during their planning period (not duty period or open block)
  • Staff in certified, school-based positions who might not have a designated planning period (e.g., ITC, librarian, math coach) shall also be eligible if they work as a substitute teacher in a period that is not designated as their duty period;
• Serve as a substitute teacher for a minimum of 30 consecutive minutes; and
• Are not already scheduled to work in the class.
  • If teacher is already scheduled to be in that class (for example, if a SPED or EL teacher is a co-teacher in the same class), additional compensation will not be provided if they fill in for another teacher in that classroom.

I'm a non-school based certified staff will I be eligible to receive pay for covering as a substitute teacher?

Yes. Certified staff that are asked to cover as a substitute teacher (e.g., itinerant staff who serve more than one school-based location or specialist), will be eligible for up to one period (for a maximum of 45 minutes at an elementary school and up to 90 minutes for secondary) of substitute compensation per day.

If I am ROP employee, Administrator, or Admin Intern, and work as a substitute teacher, will I receive additional pay?

No. Only staff who meet the criteria in the above two questions are eligible. A ROP employee who is still completing their required hours is ineligible. However, once the required hours have been completed, and a ROP employee accepts a temporary teacher or long-term substitute teacher position, the ROP employee may be eligible for additional pay for covering during the designated planning period.

If I am not giving up a planning period, but take additional students in my class, will I receive additional pay?

No. Only teachers that provide substitute teacher coverage during a period in which they typically would not teach or be assigned duties, may be eligible.

If I am Temporary Teacher, Long Term Sub or TPOTA working as a substitute teacher during the assigned planning period, will I receive additional pay?

Yes, for the 2025-26 school year, Temporary Teachers,  Long-Term Subs, and TPOTAs shall earn an additional $22.25 per hour while performing substitute teaching duties during designated planning periods.

If I am a daily substitute and work through the designated planning period, will I receive additional pay?

No. Daily substitutes are not required to do planning and therefore are available to be assigned to other classrooms during the planning period.

If I am a part-time teacher and asked to work as a substitute teacher, will I receive additional pay?

Only the time spent subbing as a teacher during planning periods within the designated contract hours of the part-time teacher assignment are eligible for additional pay. Hours outside of the contract day will be compensated at the regular substitute teacher pay rate.

When will this special substitute pay begin for certified staff, and what is the process?

School years 2024-25 through 2026-27, eligible certified staff who are directed to serve as a substitute teacher, that meet the conditions above, will complete a time sheet provided by the school. Hours worked as a substitute teacher (minimum of 30-consecutive minutes) should be recorded on a time sheet and submitted promptly to the location's timekeeper. For substitute teacher work performed the 1st - 15th of the month, a time sheet should be submitted to the timekeeper on the 16th of the month. For substitute work performed from the 16th through the end of the month, the time sheet should be submitted to the timekeeper on the 1st of the following month.

When will this additional substitute pay program end?

This additional pay will be available through SY 2026-27.

How much pay will be provided to certified staff working as substitute teacher?

The rate of pay will be the non-instructional rate ($32 per hour) for eligible hours.

When will pay be provided?

The additional compensation will be provided the pay period after the work is performed, provided a time sheet is submitted promptly to the timekeeper. For example, if substitute teacher work was performed the 1st - 15th of the month, pay will be included in the check at the end of the month. If work was performed between the 16th and the end of the month, the pay will be included in the check on the 15th of the following month.

Is there a minimum or maximum amount of time eligible for compensation for certified staff covering as a substitute teacher?

Yes. The minimum amount of time certified staff must cover as a substitute to receive compensation is 30 consecutive minutes. The maximum amount of compensation that may be provided for certified staff is one period per day. For elementary, the maximum is 45 minutes per day and for secondary, the maximum is up to 90 minutes per day.

• If a teacher, or eligible certified staff, covers for 15 minutes, for example, they would not be eligible for additional compensation.
• If a teacher or eligible certified staff worked two hours as a substitute, they shall be eligible for up to one period of additional compensation (45 or up to 90 minutes max, daily planning period).

What if I have questions about the amount of pay received?

Questions about hours worked and pay entry should be directed to your school's administration.

Schools shall continue to use the sub call system to fill substitute needs. If a substitute is not secured, a certified or classified staff member may be assigned to cover the need.

I am a full-time classified employee and am asked to work as a substitute teacher, will additional compensation be provided?

Yes. Full-time classified staff who work at least 30 consecutive minutes as a substitute teacher in SY 2025-26 shall earn an additional $7.50 an hour while performing substitute teaching duties. This pay is in addition to the classified employee's regular rate of pay per hour. Classified staff shall submit a time sheet to the timekeeper at the location where the substitute work occurred.

If I am a part-time classified employee and work as a substitute teacher outside my scheduled classified workday, what rate would I receive?

Classified part-time staff (e.g., Cafeteria Hostess), working outside their typical classified work hours, in SY 2025-26, who are preapproved by Human Resources to substitute teach, shall earn the applicable substitute rate (filling in a teacher absence $22.25/hour will apply or filling in a teaching assistant absence $20.40/hour). In this case the additional $7.50/hour would not apply since the time is not worked during the employee's classified work hours.

Part-time classified staff interested in working as a substitute shall submit a substitute application and provide transcripts (if not already on file) in order to apply to work as a substitute.

If I am a part-time classified employee and work as a substitute teacher during my scheduled classified workday hours, what rate would I receive?

For SY 2025-26, Classified staff who work at least 30 consecutive minutes as a substitute teacher shall earn an additional $7.50 an hour.

I am a temporary teacher assistant and asked to cover as a substitute teacher, what rate would I receive?

Temporary Teacher Assistants who work as substitute teachers shall earn the approved substitute rate ($22.25 per hour) for SY 2025-26.

The Temporary Teacher Assistant shall select "Sub Tchr In" (rather than the "TA In" button) on the specific days for which they are covering as a substitute teacher.

When will the Classified Substitute Pay begin, and what is the process?

Starting August 18, 2025, classified staff who are directed to serve as a substitute teacher, will complete a time sheet provided by the school. Hours worked substituting shall be recorded on a time sheet and submitted to the location's timekeeper in a timely manner for processing.

When will this additional compensation program end?

This additional pay for Classified staff serving as a substitute teacher will be provided through June 12, 2026.

How much pay will be provided to classified staff when working as substitute teachers?

Classified staff who work at least 30 consecutive minutes as a substitute teacher shall earn an additional $7.50 per hour worked as a substitute teacher.

When will pay be provided?

The additional compensation will be provided for the pay period after the work is performed, provided a time sheet is submitted promptly to the timekeeper. For example, if substitute teaching work was performed the 1st - 15th of the month, pay will be processed on the check at the end of the month. If work is performed between the 16th and the end of the month, pay will be provided on the 15th of the following month.

What if I have questions about the amount of pay received?

Questions about hours worked and pay entry should be directed to your school's administration.