Licensing & Salary

 Licenses

Oregon requires all substitutes to be licensed through Teachers Standards and Practices Commission. Renewal requirements are revised often. While we make every effort to convey the most up to date information regarding obtaining and renewing teaching licenses, we are not responsible for any inaccuracies. Please check their website- Oregon Teachers Standards And Practices.

The requirement of recent teaching experience (180 days) to renew a teaching license has been repealed.  For a Substitute Teaching License, no PDUs or recent experience are required as of July 1, 2015. This exemption of PDU requirements is continually revisited.

For Legacy, Preliminary, Professional, and Teacher Leader licensure you must complete 25 hours per year of continuing professional development. A form on which to document your PDUs and a list of approved activities may be obtained from the website http://www.tspc.state.or.us. Renewal application will be sent to TSPC with your application fee. Please refer to the Guide to Continuing PDUs from TSPC (Rev. 7-2021) for the most current information.

Links to Legislation surrounding Substitute Licensing:

584-210-0140
Substitute Teaching License

584-210-0145
Emergency Substitute License

584-210-0150
Restricted Substitute Teaching License

Retirement (PERS)

In the past substitute teachers who worked at least 600 hours per year were members of the state retirement system. This practice is not being followed by districts that contract with EduStaff or ESS, OSTA is currently working to resolve this issue.

Salary

OSTA IN ACTION!!! Through OSTA’s efforts, the salary for substitutes was set in law in 1977 to keep pace with Oregon’s beginning teachers. Over the years we have added a minimum half day and a long term salary after ten days. 

The Oregon daily minimum salary for substitute teachers is set by the legislature at 85% of the average beginning teacher. A substitute cannot be paid for less than a half day. Work beyond a half day becomes a whole day. After ten days in one assignment, the substitute teacher is paid the daily salary of a beginning teacher in the district. Information about the current substitute pay scale and the law can be found here. Please join OSTA and support our efforts on behalf of all substitute teachers in Oregon.