Substitutes

Becoming a substitute teacher offers an opportunity to make a difference in education while enjoying flexibility and diverse experiences. It can be ideal for individuals who want to give back to their community, earn part-time income, gain practical classroom experience, or explore education as a potential career path.

• Flexibility in Schedule – Substitute teaching allows you to work on your terms, choosing when and where you work depending on your availability. This makes it suitable for individuals with other commitments or those seeking an adaptable schedule.
• Make an Impact – Substitutes play a crucial role in maintaining continuity for students, ensuring their learning is not disrupted when the regular teacher is unavailable. By stepping in as a substitute teacher, you help fill a critical need and ensure students continue to receive quality education, support and stability. Even in a day, you can inspire, motivate, and encourage students, making a meaningful impact in their educational journey.
• Community Contribution – By stepping in as a substitute, you directly support your local school district. This support reduces the strain on schools and other staff members, helping ensure every classroom has an educator present and the day continues to run smoothly. The work you do not only impacts students, but also helps their families, and the wider community, by ensuring that students are cared for and educated.
• Diverse Experience – Every school and every classroom is different, making every day you sub different and unique. You have the opportunity to work and interact with a range of educators, staff and students, making meaningful connections and building relationships while learning from others. It also allows you the opportunity to gain exposure to various grade levels, subjects and classroom environments.  This can be beneficial when considering becoming a full time teacher to better understand your preferences and strengths white determining if a career in education is the right fit for you.
• Pathway to Full Time Employment – Substitute teaching is often a stepping stone for those considering full-time employment. It provides practical classroom experience that can help develop teaching skills, classroom management strategies,and allow for networking opportunities that can lead to future permanent roles.

View job description.

View substitute pay rates.

Use our interactive school locator.

All substitutes who are employees of Leander ISD must complete the in-person training which includes information regarding the roles and responsibilities of the substitute as well as school policies and procedures that substitutes are expected to follow. 

Attending training helps substitute teachers become more effective, confident, and prepared in the classroom, while enabling them to contribute to a more stable, productive and safe learning environment for students.

The essential roles and responsibilities of the substitute teacher are detailed in the job description that can be found on the job posting HERE as well as in the LISD Substitute Teacher Handbook that will be given to a LISD substitute once hired. 

Briefly stated, substitute teachers are expected to carry out two responsibilities: follow the regular teachers’ lesson plans, and maintain discipline in the classroom at a level in which learning can take place. Additionally, we require that these two responsibilities will be carried out in a climate of respect and caring for the students.

Substitutes may choose to teach any subject or at any grade level they feel comfortable and competent with. The substitute chooses the available absence assignments they would like to accept based on available absences in Red Rover (our absence management system).

Must be 19 years of age to substitute teach at elementary schools and 21 for secondary schools.

Special education is a type of instruction that is tailored to the needs of students with disabilities.

Description of Special Programs and Services
Common Special Education Acronyms
Leander ISD Special Programs Vision Video

Yes, if you are interested in hands-on training for working with special needs students, please reach out to our Substitute Coordinator, Rochelle Bond, at [email protected] or 512-570-0047 for further information.

Yes, LISD pays an additional salary supplement of $10.00 for full day Substitute Teachers, and $5.00 to Instructional Assistant Substitutes who work in Specialized Support SPED Classrooms.

Yes, retired teachers and other former employees can be hired as substitutes. However, there may be certain restrictions regarding the number of days retirees can work as substitutes, depending on the position.

The retiree should always check with TRS before beginning work in order to ensure that they will not suffer any penalties or loss of benefits when working as a substitute. You may contact Brenda Fathalla, Federal & State Reporting Analyst, at [email protected] for further assistance as well.

One excellent source of information is the Texas Education Agency’s Alternative certification programs (ACP’s) page. In addition, you can contact your local college or university to get additional information on their programs of teacher Certification.

Below is a link to a presentation given by our Campus Recruiters on How to Become A Certified Teacher in Texas. This is a brief overview of becoming a certified Texas educator either through a University Program or if you already have a degree through an Alternative Certification Program.

Presentation – Recording – Connect with a Campus Recruiter

Substitute Teachers take the place of the regular teachers when they need to be absent. They have the full responsibility of the regular teacher and are expected to carry out the teacher’s lesson plans and maintain classroom management in the classroom.

Instructional Assistant (IA) Substitutes take the place of instructional assistants when they are absent. They will have a professional staff member to assist them in carrying out their duties throughout the day. Instructional Assistant responsibilities vary depending on the role at that particular campus and can be SPED or Non-SPED positions. If you come across an IA assignment in Red Rover that interests you, but lacks notes specifying the type of IA role, feel free to contact the campus directly for more details before accepting the assignment.

Not a problem! The important thing for you to do is cancel the job as soon as possible so there is time for another substitute to pick up the assignment. A job can be canceled through Red Rover.

However, if it is 24-48 hours before you are to report to campus for the assignment, please contact the campus directly to let them know you are cancelling. Please leave a message if it is before or after school hours.

On occasion a teacher may fail to leave lesson plans or leave plans that are not adequate for a substitute to carry out their duties. If this occurs, the substitute should reach out to the front office and speak with the sub specialist who assisted during check-in. They will help find another teacher, team lead or assistant principal to come and assist. The substitute can also ask the teacher next door for assistance as well.

The first and best source for assistance is the school administrators. These professionals are responsible for providing substitutes with the resources and support they need to succeed as guest teachers in their schools.

Please call the front office and speak to the sub specialist and let them know you are needing assistance.

Simply stated, substitutes are expected to handle discipline in a firm but fair manner, with consistency and respect for the children and youth under their care. They should be able to separate the students’ behaviors from the students themselves.

The training provided by Human Resources gives numerous strategies for dealing with a wide variety of “discipline problems.” The LISD Substitute Handbook stresses repeatedly that substitute teachers are never to use physical force with students. Nor should they use sarcasm with students, shout at the students, insult them, or otherwise verbally attack them. (See the Discipline section of LISD’s Substitute Teacher Handbook)

Please see additional training resources regarding classroom management located on the substitute website under training resources.

Check to see if the teacher you are subbing for has any after school duties you need to fulfill. You may choose to leave a note for the teacher whose place you took. The note may include feedback to the teacher on how the lesson plans were completed, as well as any information about students and student behavior that they need to know. This can be very helpful and beneficial to the teacher when they return.

As for the dismissal of students, the procedures will vary at different instructional levels as well as from campus to campus. ALWAYS check with the front office if you have any questions regarding the dismissal procedures for that campus.

The philosophy and strategies of inclusion and collaboration require that all students be educated in the “least restrictive environment” possible, so special needs students are always included in the “regular” classroom to the fullest possible extent.

Please read more about the topic of inclusion and collaborative instruction on the Special Education Website.

Yes, if you are interested in receiving some hands-on training in working with students with special needs contact our Substitute Coordinator, Rochelle Bond, to schedule a training time with someone from our special education staff.  [email protected] OR 512-570-0047

Yes. You do not have to be bilingual to sub in our dual language classrooms. Students will be speaking Spanish to each other at times in these classrooms, however in most grade levels there are enough students who are proficient in both English and Spanish to assist in translating when needed.

View this presentation on what to expect in a dual language classroom.

Substitutes should never deny a student’s request to go to the nurse. It is the nurse’s responsibility to determine whether or not a child is ill–not the substitute teacher’s.

Please make sure to check for any teachers notes regarding their bathroom policy or notes regarding certain students.

Like other employees of the district, substitutes must maintain a posture of “neutrality” regarding religion and political views in the classroom and in other activities and areas of the school.

Substitutes should follow the teachers’ lesson plans and not introduce topics for discussion that may be disruptive or controversial.

Additional training resources can be found on our substitute website under the Substitute Training tab. www.leanderisd.org/substitutes/

In addition, Substantial Classroom Sub School offers a free online Welcome to Substitute Teaching Course available to all substitute teachers.

What You’ll Get From This Course

“Welcome to Substitute Teaching,” will set you up for a successful start to your substitute teaching journey. The curriculum is based on the Substitute Teacher Competency Framework. In this course you will build your knowledge and understanding of:

• How to prepare, begin, and complete a teaching assignment
• Your role in the school community
• The different types of teaching placements
• How to manage instruction
• How your identity and personality influence your interactions in the classroom

What else can I expect from this course?

• Practical knowledge and skills
• Perspective and encouragement from other substitute teachers
• Strategies for making confident and well-informed decisions

Substitute Feedback Suggestion Form

Sometime near the end of each school year, active substitutes who have worked during the school year will receive an email with the Letter of Reasonable Assurance which will have a link to complete an online reactivation.

The email is sent to your LISD email account. It is imperative that you set up your LISD Network account soon after you start working and check your emails on a regular basis.

LISD Instructional Assistant Information Sheet

One excellent source of information is the Texas Education Agency’s Alternative certification programs (ACP’s) page. In addition, you can contact your local college or university to get additional information on their programs of teacher Certification.

Below is a link to a presentation given by our Campus Recruiters on How to Become A Certified Teacher in Texas. This is a brief overview of becoming a certified Texas educator either through a University Program or if you already have a degree through an Alternative Certification Program.

Presentation – Recording – Connect with a Campus Recruiter

If a substitute is having difficulty with Red Rover please contact the substitute office at 512-570-0130 or by email at [email protected]. There is also a list of resources for Red Rover on our substitute website www.leanderisd.org/substitues/ under the Red Rover Resources tab.

Payroll Schedule

ESS (Employee Self Service) is used by employees to view personal information, pay and tax information, paychecks, and benefits. Information on how to set up your Munis ESS account and locate the information needed can be found on our substitute website under the Substitute Resources tab or in the Employee Self Service Documentation.

You can contact the substitute office first regarding any discrepancies you may discover in your paycheck at 512-570-0118 or [email protected].  If further assistance is required you may contact the payroll office at [email protected]

Incident IQ Ticket System