The Board of Education has temporarily changed the education requirements for substitute teachers in Fayette County.

Finding subs comfortable with teaching has been more difficult than ever this school year because of the current pandemic. Most subs are retired teachers from the school system, and are in the high risk group of COVID-19. 

“We need a larger pool of substitute teachers to meet our needs,” Director of Human Resources Erin Roberson said. “We have hired over 75 substitutes this school year, but we need more.” 

The school system normally has a 90% fill rate for sub openings, but this school year the rate has fallen below that mark. This has left some openings unfilled, leaving teachers to have to cover additional classes.

To generate a larger pool of potential subs, the county has changed the education requirement for the rest of this school year. In previous years, the requirements to be a substitute teacher was to have at least a bachelor’s degree in education. Changing the requirements to some college education, allows college students to work while earning their college degree. 

The Human Resources Department gathered opinions from district administrators, school principals and the Board of Education to change the education requirements for substitute teachers. 

To apply for a substitute teaching position go www.fcboe.org and look under the Quick Links/Position Openings tab.