Become a Substitute / Guest Teacher!

Earn Up to $200 per Day!

While compensation varies from district to district, you can make between $100 and $200 a day as a substitute teacher. Colorado issues three types of substitute authorizations -- 1-year, 3-year and 5-year -- based on your educational background and experience, which allow you to work as a substitute teacher in a Colorado public school district, BOCES, charter school or CDE-approved facility school. Issued without a specific content or endorsement area, all substitute authorizations are valid for serving in K-12 classrooms.

Want to work with our youngest students?  Substitute in a preschool classroom!  Depending on its level, your CDE-issued substitute authorization may allow school districts to hire you as a substitute for early childhood director and teacher vacancies.  Apply and start working with Colorado's youngest school-aged children today!

Colorado students need you! Visit the Step Into Substitute Teaching webpage for additional information about how you can earn money, influence lives and make a difference!

Colorado Substitute Authorizations

5-Year Substitute Authorization

To qualify for a 5-year substitute authorization requires, you must hold or have held a Colorado or other state-issued teacher license and have a current fingerprint-based criminal history report/background check on file with CDE. During the application process, those with out-of-state teacher licenses will be required to upload a copy of the certificate. Alternative or provisional teacher, special services provider, principal and administrator licenses and CTE, temporary, adjunct, substitute emergency and other authorizations do not qualify; it must be a full teacher license.

Once issued, the authorization is valid in all Colorado school districts, BOCES, charter schools and approved facility schools.

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn about the Fingerprint-based Background
• Click to Apply

3-Year Substitute Authorization

To qualify for a 3-year substitute authorization, you must hold an earned bachelor's or higher degree in any content area from a regionally accredited college or university and have a current fingerprint-based criminal history report/background check on file with CDE. During the application process, you will be required to upload a copy of the official, degree-conferred transcript(s) into your application.

Once issued, the authorization is valid in all Colorado school districts, BOCES, charter and approved facility schools.

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn about the Fingerprint-based Background
• Click to Apply

Interested?

Get started on your path to substitute teaching! It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. If you've not already done so, submit your fingerprints to CBI for CDE licensure purposes.

2. Select "click to apply" beneath the authorization type for which you qualify (above), then follow the steps on the checklist and submit an application.

3. Visit our school districts web page to identify the districts in which you would like to serve and give them a call!

Questions?

Submit a Licensing Support Request form or call 720-739-3304 (7:30 am - 12:30 pm, Monday through Friday).