Becoming a Substitute Teacher in Maine, ME
Maine, a state with 631,000 students ranks 26th in population. The state has a total of 1,474 public schools and is looking to fill the out with new teachers and subs. Now is a great time to look into the educational field, and few better jobs to get a glimpse of what it has to offer then becoming a sub. Along with being a sub comes the understanding that your work schedule will be flexible, which many people enjoy as it allows them to accomplish other things with their time such as furthering education. Many states do not require a bachelor’s degree to become a sub which is great because if you don’t like teaching you can refocus somewhere else.
Required Training, Qualifications, and Education
A Bachelor’s Degree is not required to become a teacher in Maine. You will need to go in for state fingerprinting as well as stand and federal background checks. However, some districts have other requirements so make sure to check before applying.
Licensure and Certification
The following situations are required for a substitute teacher license–
- Submit the Substitute Application through a local school system
- Include any official transcripts, references, or other relevant material
- Include required Application fee/s
- Must reapply for certificate every four years
Career Expectations For Substitutes in Maine
Recently Maine has been adding to it’s educational system, as luxury that coming out of the recession has allowed. With the addition of new teachers brings along the inherent need for more substitutes, and this trend will continue long into the foreseeable future. This coupled with the fact we have a growing national population, educators will be in demand for a long time. Becoming a substitute carries many unique advantages, many enjoy the open work schedule and use it to take advantage of other work opportunities as well as continuing education. The recession proved the educational system to be relatively stable as teachers faired better then most throughout the downturn. Along with the many other benefits of becoming a sub is the favorable boost it gives to your resume, even if you’re not looking to move into a full time teaching position.
Salary Expectation
Currently, the average salary for a Substitute Teacher in Maine is approximately $28,000 a year (according to bls.gov) which is about 5% lower than the national average. This number can vary greatly due to the fact that actual pay is greatly dependent upon variables like district, experience, and qualifications. Additional income can be gained during times when you are not substitute teaching through things like test proctoring as well as tutoring.