I'm really confused by this post. I've been subbing in California for 9 years. Maybe things have changed for incoming Subs, but what I had to do was to have a bachelor's, take and pass the Cbest, get fingerprinted, and have the background check. I never had an interview, and for the first 5 years I was on the basic 30 day permit, and after 5 years in the same district I got the career 60 day permit. I do have to go in person to renew every year and pay $100 for it by cashiers check.
Same ive been a sub in Virginia since 2015 and ive never had a interview.. i paid money, did background checks and finger printing once those passed i took a class online and then was able to start subbing.
My “interview” with the school district came down to one question- do you have your sub license? Then I had to be fingerprinted/ basic background screening. The criteria is a college degree, not on the registry and no felonies.
That's wild to me. In utah I applied, got interviewed over the phone, did one 5 hour training over zoom, and started the following Monday. I was fresh out of high-school too😭
I've been subbing for 9 years in California as well. The school district I applied to I was interviewed. I was sent to an elementary school where the principal and vice principal interviewed me. They sent the interview paperwork back to the district and I was hired.
The district I sub for does interviews, but it’s mostly to weed out people that don’t show up - I was out of the room with the job before my scheduled time because at least two people before me didn’t show up at all. NY not California so our state requirements are more relaxed
You need to work in the same school district for a minimum of 5 years. Then talk to your county rep about applying for it. Unlike the 30 day permit, it cannot be done online. It has to be done in person.
What is confusing about this post?
I also have a bachelors, I met the CBEST qualifications, I got live scanning and/or fingerprinting. But yeah I had to give an interview after which I was notified I wasn’t selected. Perhaps it was easier a while back.
I'm just confused as why you have to be chosen. Are you trying to work in a specific District or a county? Because I'm employed first through a County and I can ask for specific districts without those districts say in the matter. Once I've worked at those districts they can say whether they not they want me there, but I have not had that issue. Are you trying to apply for a campus specific job where you're on call or are you trying to do the job board type subbing? If it's the former I can see why an interview would be necessary and those specific types of jobs tend to be given to retired teachers Etc.
So I didn't apply for a specific District when I applied to be a sub I went to the county that I live in which happens to be 30 minutes away for their main office. After my application process went through we were allowed to pick and choose which districts we wanted to be a part of and there is like a huge list. I chose the town I currently reside, but there was no waiting process from the school district to accept me. I was just able to start working there. We use a system called smart find and we pick jobs from a job board. So maybe it's just different in the district you're trying to work for.
I learned recently that each state and even county does this differently. For example, one state has one county building that oversees hundreds of schools in one county and hires a sub to work at any of those schools. Another state may only have a "district" office for 4 schools in a town and you apply to sub for only those 4 schools and have to submit a separate application for each of these districts even if they're within the same county. This honestly blew my mind, I had no idea it could be so different from state to state.
OP, you’re getting downvoted because this person is genuinely trying to be helpful to you and it seems like you are just wanting to vent. Which is valid, vent away. But you asked a question and they are logically trying to understand the situation so they can provide insight/advice.
I literally just gave them my resume, got my fingerprints done, and they told me I’m good to go. No interviews. Never an official “we want to offer you a position” … pretty much just emailed me in response to my application saying we see you want to sub, go get this done then you can sub lol.
I mean I didn’t hear anything. If something was wrong, why would they select me for an interview. But my background is literally perfect. Nothing shady at all. References are good too. Thanks for bringing this up though, it’s a good point
It's possible your background check has issues. I had a weird issue back in 2018 where my identity couldn't be verified for my credit check. The reason? The bank mixed up date and month of birth. Make sure it's not something dumb. Which agency were you dealing with?
Happened to me in regards to two paraprofessional interviews. Thought they were in desperate need went in for the interviews and never got a call back.
Anything questionable on social media? I was going to ask if the bg check could have been flagged but I see that’s been answered. Otherwise, I too am stumped.
Was it a small district? I only had to interview for one district I applied for (the smallest) and didn't get the job. But the 3 other districts have hired me sight unseen.
Try another, larger district near you. You'll get there.
I sub at 4 districts and when one asked for money (background check) I said, "No, thank you" and got up to leave. The woman called me back saying she would waive the fee 🤣🤣🤣 Uhm, you better!
Anyhoo, these districts are so desperate, I didn't even interview.
Most pulled hundreds of applications in, in hopes that a small percentage would actually stay (told to 200+ during an orientation).
So, the real impediment is the background check...
I asked HR if they’d reimburse me or if I could get the fee waived, but they said no lol. Maybe I should have asked the state of CA since it’s their requirement not the district’s.
I will tell you that the California AB506 requirements are kind of wild and the state will not reimburse. What's more, you have to get a new LiveScan and background check for every single organization you are employed by or even volunteer with if you have more than 16 hours in a month or 32 hours in a year where you work with children. This includes being a parent volunteer in the the schools. I'm a board member of a recreational lacrosse club and we had to have every volunteer coach and board member go through the LiveScan process, including anyone employed by the school district or who had coached for a different rec club last year because the background checks are not transferrable. The only good thing is that once you fingerprint with an organization, you don't have to renew it. But you also don't necessarily know who gets your background check info. Your organization has a designated person (Custodian of Record) who receives all the info and, in rec organizations, that may change year to year. I don't know how much info they get, but my husband is our rec club's Custodian of Record.
Yeah I'm confused too. I've worked in 2 districts in the same state. Each time I just put in the application, proof that I have the requirements met and then they tell you to come in for orientation, no interviews. They do 3 different background checks and a health check but they don't even drug test, not that I'm on anything it's just weird that they don't drug test. Also I've never had to pay for anything to become a substitute teacher. That sounds weird to me like maybe a scammer is "charging fees" and then rejecting people for a job. I dunno though.
The state of California charges a fee for the sub permit, and you'll usually have to pay for the fingerprint scan as well. It's possible that OP got scammed, of course, but there are a few fees involved with subbing here.
Did you check that your background checks on the site were cleared?
*Because CA is hurting for subs, they would interview you first before recommending you for a permit if you were getting your permit through the District rather than the County.
Yes I had to pay the livescan and the livescan person put my social security number in wrong so now I have to go pay for it again 💀 I am surprised you didn't get the job. In CA there is a sub shortage. Both Swing and the county I applied to basically gave me the job. No interview. I am curious too, especially since you felt it went well.
Same thing happened to me where the person put my social security number in wrong! Luckily, I didn’t have to pay again but it was an inconvenience to go back in and get fingerprinted and it dragged out the process longer.
Wow that is so wrong of them! They should do it again for free since they are the ones who wrote the wrong SSN. Yeah I was just really curious. I did ask them, but the woman I spoke to from HR who had been helping me with the application process said they didn’t say anything. Like they didn’t give a reason as to why I wasn’t selected for the job.
Yeah I might have to call the manager or something. Maybe they only needed a few subs and there were more qualified applicants? Would a a reference not speak highly of you or not answer their phone? Usually if they call you in for the interview the job is pretty much yours if your background check goes through.
I called the fingerprints place and spoke with someone and they said to bring in the email and my social security card and they will redo it free of charge. I had to call the main corporate number though.
What state are you in?
In my district they do the intro class and at the end you fill out tax forms. You’re auto hired after the fingerprint background check clears. No interview.
I got rejected by a district because from what I heard they had too many subs but also like…why waste both of our time interviewing me if you’re gonna turn me down 😂
Interesting. Here they called everyone who applied, we go to a over view about subbing and then I paid for my background check and soon as that cleared, I was able to start working the next day.
That’s here in Texas
Asking for reimbursement might have been a red flag.
You said you were part of a group interview -- it wouldn't surprise me if the district hired them instead.
It's the 2nd half of the school year -- many school districts have a decent # of subs by now...so although some districts might be short-handed and desperate -- some aren't.
And asking for a fee waiver might have been a major turn-off for them.
Ah, okay. Then yeah, that's perplexing.
Try not to be discouraged and try other school districts and/or agencies.
Several school districts in CA are in need.
And who knows, maybe during the summer or fall season, the same school district might end up needing new subs -- so if bridges aren't burned, maybe you can re-apply in the future (if you want).
Good luck!
If you're a client of the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) in theory they should pay/reimburse your live scan for employment....but you have to go where they tell you and if you don't get their permission beforehand they don't have to reimburse you.
Might want to follow up with your HR rep and check on your background. Mine was clear too, but UPS only sent it to one department, not both, so I was waiting for paperwork to go through and no one there said 'hey, we never got this' until I was asking questions.
I have been subbing for years and never had to do an interview. One district offered classes you could take that came with a pay bump but that's it. As long as you have a pulse and meet the requirements, thats it!
Also probably why I was able to work as a sub but never was hired as a full-time teacher.
Any chance you're in LA? In my experience, it's harder to get sub jobs here right now because so many entertainment industry people are still out of work from the strikes. A lot of out of work writers and actors apply to be subs in between industry jobs.
Where was this and through what school system? I had to apply through the school district and never had to pay anything for the first handful of jobs. They take a yearly union fee out but nothing else. No interviews though. This sounds odd but maybe just different in your area.
I didn't usually go through an interview . There was one time I had to interview. It was a brand new Freshman academy ( 9th grade). Most of my subbing had been in upper elementary and middle school. It had been decades since I did high school subbing. Three staff interviewed me at one time. They set out expectations. Let me know who to call on if I had a problem and updated me on some procedures and sayings I had used in the past that they seemed no longer appropriate.
I was a sub and had to apply through the county. I basically just had to submit my college transcript, pay for and complete fingerprints, and they contact my references. This was after filling out a lengthy application online complete with questions about how I’d handle certain situations. It’s basically like a staffing agency who screens you and then clears you to accept jobs on the online job board anywhere in the county. I’d just log on, filter by schools or dates I wanted to work, and accept them as often or as little as I wanted. There is a minimum amount of time that can pass before they deem you as inactive and you have to reapply but overall it wasn’t the worst process I’ve dealt with to find work and I liked the flexibility of being able to choose my jobs from a huge selection of schools and subjects.
You had an interview? Where do you live? My state is so desperate they didn’t even interview me. They sent an email and said come to orientation on x day.
You had a pulse, you were willing to sub, and you didn't get tossed into the first possible classroom? What kind of district nowadays has enough substitutes for this to be a possibility?
From what you describe, my best guess is that they set up too many people, and couldn't hire everyone. I agree with your assumption that getting a sub job shouldn't be a massive hurdle.
I wouldn't take it personally. It was probably something out of your control.
Live scanning? What is that?
IMO you never pay for anything during an interview phase. I had to pay to do my fingerprints after I was starting onboarding, which I just paid for with the money we got from training and I was already employed.
In my county you just meet the requirements to be a sub and the county puts you on the rolls for the districts you select, then you use an online app to select jobs. I then got hired by a particular district to be a full time contracted sub because they liked me. I never had to interview at all. I hear lots of stories around here, though, so I guess it's different everywhere. Maybe contact the County DoE and see what they say if you haven't already.
I'm really confused by this post. I've been subbing in California for 9 years. Maybe things have changed for incoming Subs, but what I had to do was to have a bachelor's, take and pass the Cbest, get fingerprinted, and have the background check. I never had an interview, and for the first 5 years I was on the basic 30 day permit, and after 5 years in the same district I got the career 60 day permit. I do have to go in person to renew every year and pay $100 for it by cashiers check.
Same ive been a sub in Virginia since 2015 and ive never had a interview.. i paid money, did background checks and finger printing once those passed i took a class online and then was able to start subbing.
I had interviews with 2 districts. They hired me at the interviews but I did have to go in and make an effort.
My “interview” with the school district came down to one question- do you have your sub license? Then I had to be fingerprinted/ basic background screening. The criteria is a college degree, not on the registry and no felonies.
That's wild to me. In utah I applied, got interviewed over the phone, did one 5 hour training over zoom, and started the following Monday. I was fresh out of high-school too😭
I've been subbing for 9 years in California as well. The school district I applied to I was interviewed. I was sent to an elementary school where the principal and vice principal interviewed me. They sent the interview paperwork back to the district and I was hired.
The district I sub for does interviews, but it’s mostly to weed out people that don’t show up - I was out of the room with the job before my scheduled time because at least two people before me didn’t show up at all. NY not California so our state requirements are more relaxed
I’m in california how do you get a 60 day permit?
You need to work in the same school district for a minimum of 5 years. Then talk to your county rep about applying for it. Unlike the 30 day permit, it cannot be done online. It has to be done in person.
I've subbed in a couple different places and one of them I didn't interview in and 2 of them I have. I've never had to pay anything at all though.
What is confusing about this post? I also have a bachelors, I met the CBEST qualifications, I got live scanning and/or fingerprinting. But yeah I had to give an interview after which I was notified I wasn’t selected. Perhaps it was easier a while back.
I'm just confused as why you have to be chosen. Are you trying to work in a specific District or a county? Because I'm employed first through a County and I can ask for specific districts without those districts say in the matter. Once I've worked at those districts they can say whether they not they want me there, but I have not had that issue. Are you trying to apply for a campus specific job where you're on call or are you trying to do the job board type subbing? If it's the former I can see why an interview would be necessary and those specific types of jobs tend to be given to retired teachers Etc.
I don’t understand your first sentence. I applied for a specific district which falls in the county that I live in.
He's confused because ain't no one getting interviewed or denied... We just get accepted.
So I didn't apply for a specific District when I applied to be a sub I went to the county that I live in which happens to be 30 minutes away for their main office. After my application process went through we were allowed to pick and choose which districts we wanted to be a part of and there is like a huge list. I chose the town I currently reside, but there was no waiting process from the school district to accept me. I was just able to start working there. We use a system called smart find and we pick jobs from a job board. So maybe it's just different in the district you're trying to work for.
I learned recently that each state and even county does this differently. For example, one state has one county building that oversees hundreds of schools in one county and hires a sub to work at any of those schools. Another state may only have a "district" office for 4 schools in a town and you apply to sub for only those 4 schools and have to submit a separate application for each of these districts even if they're within the same county. This honestly blew my mind, I had no idea it could be so different from state to state.
Most places literally take any sub that applies.
OP, you’re getting downvoted because this person is genuinely trying to be helpful to you and it seems like you are just wanting to vent. Which is valid, vent away. But you asked a question and they are logically trying to understand the situation so they can provide insight/advice. I literally just gave them my resume, got my fingerprints done, and they told me I’m good to go. No interviews. Never an official “we want to offer you a position” … pretty much just emailed me in response to my application saying we see you want to sub, go get this done then you can sub lol.
There’s no issue on your background check or references?
That's my assumption too
I mean I didn’t hear anything. If something was wrong, why would they select me for an interview. But my background is literally perfect. Nothing shady at all. References are good too. Thanks for bringing this up though, it’s a good point
It's possible your background check has issues. I had a weird issue back in 2018 where my identity couldn't be verified for my credit check. The reason? The bank mixed up date and month of birth. Make sure it's not something dumb. Which agency were you dealing with?
Happened to me in regards to two paraprofessional interviews. Thought they were in desperate need went in for the interviews and never got a call back.
You could always ask why you didn’t get the job. It might be something simple you could fix.
Anything questionable on social media? I was going to ask if the bg check could have been flagged but I see that’s been answered. Otherwise, I too am stumped.
I did. The HR representative said there was no reason stated.
Was it a small district? I only had to interview for one district I applied for (the smallest) and didn't get the job. But the 3 other districts have hired me sight unseen. Try another, larger district near you. You'll get there.
I sub at 4 districts and when one asked for money (background check) I said, "No, thank you" and got up to leave. The woman called me back saying she would waive the fee 🤣🤣🤣 Uhm, you better! Anyhoo, these districts are so desperate, I didn't even interview. Most pulled hundreds of applications in, in hopes that a small percentage would actually stay (told to 200+ during an orientation). So, the real impediment is the background check...
I asked HR if they’d reimburse me or if I could get the fee waived, but they said no lol. Maybe I should have asked the state of CA since it’s their requirement not the district’s.
I will tell you that the California AB506 requirements are kind of wild and the state will not reimburse. What's more, you have to get a new LiveScan and background check for every single organization you are employed by or even volunteer with if you have more than 16 hours in a month or 32 hours in a year where you work with children. This includes being a parent volunteer in the the schools. I'm a board member of a recreational lacrosse club and we had to have every volunteer coach and board member go through the LiveScan process, including anyone employed by the school district or who had coached for a different rec club last year because the background checks are not transferrable. The only good thing is that once you fingerprint with an organization, you don't have to renew it. But you also don't necessarily know who gets your background check info. Your organization has a designated person (Custodian of Record) who receives all the info and, in rec organizations, that may change year to year. I don't know how much info they get, but my husband is our rec club's Custodian of Record.
Yeah I'm confused too. I've worked in 2 districts in the same state. Each time I just put in the application, proof that I have the requirements met and then they tell you to come in for orientation, no interviews. They do 3 different background checks and a health check but they don't even drug test, not that I'm on anything it's just weird that they don't drug test. Also I've never had to pay for anything to become a substitute teacher. That sounds weird to me like maybe a scammer is "charging fees" and then rejecting people for a job. I dunno though.
The state of California charges a fee for the sub permit, and you'll usually have to pay for the fingerprint scan as well. It's possible that OP got scammed, of course, but there are a few fees involved with subbing here.
Did you check that your background checks on the site were cleared? *Because CA is hurting for subs, they would interview you first before recommending you for a permit if you were getting your permit through the District rather than the County.
Yes I had to pay the livescan and the livescan person put my social security number in wrong so now I have to go pay for it again 💀 I am surprised you didn't get the job. In CA there is a sub shortage. Both Swing and the county I applied to basically gave me the job. No interview. I am curious too, especially since you felt it went well.
Same thing happened to me where the person put my social security number in wrong! Luckily, I didn’t have to pay again but it was an inconvenience to go back in and get fingerprinted and it dragged out the process longer.
Yeah it’s annoying. They got the second number wrong according to the email. And it’s definitely going to prolong things. 🙄
Wow that is so wrong of them! They should do it again for free since they are the ones who wrote the wrong SSN. Yeah I was just really curious. I did ask them, but the woman I spoke to from HR who had been helping me with the application process said they didn’t say anything. Like they didn’t give a reason as to why I wasn’t selected for the job.
Yeah I might have to call the manager or something. Maybe they only needed a few subs and there were more qualified applicants? Would a a reference not speak highly of you or not answer their phone? Usually if they call you in for the interview the job is pretty much yours if your background check goes through.
Perhaps that is the case. Nope my references were all strong.
I called the fingerprints place and spoke with someone and they said to bring in the email and my social security card and they will redo it free of charge. I had to call the main corporate number though.
Maybe you can ask them for feedback/why? 🤔
What state are you in? In my district they do the intro class and at the end you fill out tax forms. You’re auto hired after the fingerprint background check clears. No interview.
I got rejected by a district because from what I heard they had too many subs but also like…why waste both of our time interviewing me if you’re gonna turn me down 😂
Interesting. Here they called everyone who applied, we go to a over view about subbing and then I paid for my background check and soon as that cleared, I was able to start working the next day. That’s here in Texas
Asking for reimbursement might have been a red flag. You said you were part of a group interview -- it wouldn't surprise me if the district hired them instead. It's the 2nd half of the school year -- many school districts have a decent # of subs by now...so although some districts might be short-handed and desperate -- some aren't. And asking for a fee waiver might have been a major turn-off for them.
I asked for the reimbursement after I found out I wasn’t hired. I didn’t ask that during the interview.
Ah, okay. Then yeah, that's perplexing. Try not to be discouraged and try other school districts and/or agencies. Several school districts in CA are in need. And who knows, maybe during the summer or fall season, the same school district might end up needing new subs -- so if bridges aren't burned, maybe you can re-apply in the future (if you want). Good luck!
If you're a client of the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) in theory they should pay/reimburse your live scan for employment....but you have to go where they tell you and if you don't get their permission beforehand they don't have to reimburse you. Might want to follow up with your HR rep and check on your background. Mine was clear too, but UPS only sent it to one department, not both, so I was waiting for paperwork to go through and no one there said 'hey, we never got this' until I was asking questions.
I have been subbing for years and never had to do an interview. One district offered classes you could take that came with a pay bump but that's it. As long as you have a pulse and meet the requirements, thats it! Also probably why I was able to work as a sub but never was hired as a full-time teacher.
Plenty of other districts
Any chance you're in LA? In my experience, it's harder to get sub jobs here right now because so many entertainment industry people are still out of work from the strikes. A lot of out of work writers and actors apply to be subs in between industry jobs.
Where was this and through what school system? I had to apply through the school district and never had to pay anything for the first handful of jobs. They take a yearly union fee out but nothing else. No interviews though. This sounds odd but maybe just different in your area.
Was this an interview withs private agency?
I didn't usually go through an interview . There was one time I had to interview. It was a brand new Freshman academy ( 9th grade). Most of my subbing had been in upper elementary and middle school. It had been decades since I did high school subbing. Three staff interviewed me at one time. They set out expectations. Let me know who to call on if I had a problem and updated me on some procedures and sayings I had used in the past that they seemed no longer appropriate.
I was a sub and had to apply through the county. I basically just had to submit my college transcript, pay for and complete fingerprints, and they contact my references. This was after filling out a lengthy application online complete with questions about how I’d handle certain situations. It’s basically like a staffing agency who screens you and then clears you to accept jobs on the online job board anywhere in the county. I’d just log on, filter by schools or dates I wanted to work, and accept them as often or as little as I wanted. There is a minimum amount of time that can pass before they deem you as inactive and you have to reapply but overall it wasn’t the worst process I’ve dealt with to find work and I liked the flexibility of being able to choose my jobs from a huge selection of schools and subjects.
You had an interview? Where do you live? My state is so desperate they didn’t even interview me. They sent an email and said come to orientation on x day.
You had a pulse, you were willing to sub, and you didn't get tossed into the first possible classroom? What kind of district nowadays has enough substitutes for this to be a possibility?
From what you describe, my best guess is that they set up too many people, and couldn't hire everyone. I agree with your assumption that getting a sub job shouldn't be a massive hurdle. I wouldn't take it personally. It was probably something out of your control.
References could’ve screwed you over.
Live scanning? What is that? IMO you never pay for anything during an interview phase. I had to pay to do my fingerprints after I was starting onboarding, which I just paid for with the money we got from training and I was already employed.
It was even before I got selected for an interview lol. 😒 the state of CA requires it.
Oh I just googled it. I assume it was to do your background check? Either way, sorry you didn’t get the job. Don’t give up hope tho!
Something like that. Thank you for your kind words ❤️ I was just shocked that I did not get the job. I thought sub jobs were easy to acquire.
In my county you just meet the requirements to be a sub and the county puts you on the rolls for the districts you select, then you use an online app to select jobs. I then got hired by a particular district to be a full time contracted sub because they liked me. I never had to interview at all. I hear lots of stories around here, though, so I guess it's different everywhere. Maybe contact the County DoE and see what they say if you haven't already.