Information for New Substitute Teacher Candidates

Thank you for your interest in substituting for our school district.  In order to become a substitute teacher for our District, you must

  1. Submit an application on our district website.

  2. Obtain a certification from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

To be eligible for a substitute certificate you must either have 36 college hours OR complete the DESE approved online course.   Follow the steps below to obtain certification.

STEP 1.  COMPLETE AN ONLINE SUBSTITUTE CERTIFICATE APPLICATION

  • You will first need to create a profile in our certification system.  Please follow the instructions outlined in the Educator Certification System Help Guide for the Certification System.

  • After you have created a profile in our certification system, find the "applications" link in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen to see a list of application types.

  • Choose “Substitute” from the list to create an online application.  Complete and submit the application.

  • A non-refundable processing fee of $50 is required.  The fee will be paid at the time the application is submitted online. Fees may be paid by credit/debit card or by e-check.

STEP 2.  SUBMIT REQUIRED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION TO DESE

  • ORIGINAL TRANSCRIPTS from ALL institutions you have attended must be mailed to:  Educator Certification, PO Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480.  Please be sure to include your Social Security number or Educator ID number on all of the transcripts.  Faxed, scanned, emailed, or photocopied transcripts will not be accepted.  Transcripts become the property of the department and cannot be returned.

OR

  • CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION FROM APPROVED SUBSTITUTE TRAINING - CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE TRAINING

  • COPY OF HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, GENERAL EDUCATION DIPLOMA (GED), OR HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY TEST (HiSET) must be mailed to: Educator Certification, PO Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480. Please be sure to include your Social Security number or Educator ID number. Faxed, scanned, or emailed documents will not be accepted. These documents become the property of the department and cannot be returned.

STEP 3.  FINGERPRINT/BACKGROUND CHECK

  • A criminal fingerprint/background clearance must be obtained before a certificate can be issued. 

  • IMPORTANT!! Contact Debbie Dragoo at 816-892-1322 prior to registering for a background check.

Questions . . . Please contact Debbie Dragoo at 816-892-1321 or debra.dragoo@raypec.org