Guest Teacher Program |
 Program List |
The Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU) Guest Teacher Program is a service offered to local school districts. The program provides substitute teacher training to people who have a bachelor’s degree but do not have a Pennsylvania teaching certificate. The interactive training sessions, conducted by CSIU professionals, will provide instruction in professionalism, strategies for effective instruction and classroom management, special education, tips for substitute teachers, and a variety of resources that would be beneficial to substitutes. Guest teachers leave the program with an emergency permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and the basic knowledge to be an effective substitute teacher in the consortium school districts and/or CSIU classrooms.
Applying to the Guest Teacher Program
The 2010 – 2011 Guest Teacher timeline is:
- Thursday, January 28, 2010 – advertisements will begin appearing in local newspapers and be posted on CSIU website
- Monday, February 8, 2010 – Application deadline
- Weeks of February 15 and 22, 2010 – Resume screening
- Weeks of March 8 and 15, 2010 – Guest Teacher interviews
Acceptance to the Guest Teacher program is based upon application screening and interviewing. Interviews are conducted by CSIU professional staff. People who have a lapsed, inactive or current PA certification are not eligible to participate in the GT program.
Candidates Accepted Into the Guest Teacher ProgramAccording to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), “The law specifies that all applicants for employment with public and private schools…hired as of January 1, 1986, undergo background checks.”
Applicants must submit a current Act 114 (FBI clearance) registration ID number with the application.
- Act 114 – FBI Fingerprint Criminal Record clearance - $36 fee
- Click here to register at PA Cogent and pay the fee. The “Print Locations” link will provide information about the nearest fingerprinting location and the times of operation.
Once a candidate has been accepted into the guest teacher program they will be required to obtain and provide to CSIU:
- Act 151 – PA Child Abuse History clearance - $10 fee
- Act 34 – PA State Police Criminal Record clearance - $10 fee
- School employee physical examination form including a current TB test
- PDE 338-G General Application – complete this form and return it to CSIU for mailing. Do not mail it directly to PDE.
Please bring original, approved clearances, your completed physical, TB test results, and 338G – general application forms to the first day of training.
Guest Teacher Training
All guest teachers are required to attend one and a half days of training. Trainers and speakers include CSIU educational and special education professionals, superintendents and veteran guest teachers. The 2010 – 2011 school year timeline is:
- Tuesday, April 27, 2010 – full day of training
- April 28 – May 18 – classroom observations
- Guest teachers are required to do at least two classroom observations as part of the training process. The consortium recommends that each guest teacher do one observation at the elementary level (K-6) and one observation at the secondary level (7-12).
- Wednesday, May 19, 2010 – half day of training
In the event of bad weather on either day of training, please follow the inclement weather procedure below before leaving home.
1. Call the CSIU at (570) 523-1155.
2. Listen to the CSIU recording.
*If there is a delay or closing, the recording will prompt you to push
#9 on your phone keypad.
3. The recording will then inform you of any changes in the
Guest Teacher schedule.
Please note: Any changes in the schedule will be on the recording after 6:30 AM, but you should try calling the CSIU several times before leaving your home. This will ensure you will not miss any additional updates or changes.
If the recording does not prompt you to push option #9, there is no change in the CSIU schedule that day. You should report to training as scheduled.
Emergency Permit
After completing the required paperwork, mandatory trainings and classroom observations, CSIU will apply for an emergency permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. It allows the guest teacher to substitute in participating school districts and/or CSIU classrooms.
The emergency permit allows a guest teacher to work as a day-to-day substitute in the participating school districts and CSIU classrooms.
The 2009-2010 participating school districts are:
- Bloomsburg
- CSIU
- Danville
- Line Mountain
- Midd-West
- Mifflinburg
- Millville
- Milton
- Mt. Carmel
- Selinsgrove
- Shamokin
- Shikellamy
- Southern Columbia
Guest teachers may select where they are interested in substituting and CSIU will provide each district with copies of their:
The emergency permit is valid for the school year in which it is issued. Guest teachers wishing to continue substitute teaching in the following year(s) must complete a yearly application to obtain the emergency permit. The application is provided by CSIU. The CSIU will not renew emergency permits for individuals who did not substitute in the prior year.
Please click here for Guest Teacher Frequently Asked Questions
On behalf of CSIU and participating districts, thank you for your interest in the Guest Teacher program. No matter what the age, becoming involved in the education of children is a rewarding and fulfilling mission.
Guest Teachers Share Their ExperiencesAmy Herbster, former Guest Teacher and current 4th grade teacher in the Shikellamy School District said, "My guest teacher experience was very valuable to me in the sense that it gave me time and actual classroom experience to figure out if I wanted to pursue a teaching career. Spending many months subbing in classrooms (at all levels) made me realize that teaching elementary school was what I wanted to do. I now have my own classroom and I really attribute that to starting out as a guest teacher."
Kenneth Geise has been a Guest Teacher in the CSIU classrooms for over 4 years. He said, “I recommend the Guest Teacher Program. It is always a rewarding challenge to work with our special needs children. They bring joy and laughter with them each day, even in difficult times which many face daily. They bring pride and respect with them and I feel blessed to be part of their lives.”