How to Land Long-Term Substitute Teaching Assignments (The Real Money Makers)

Long-term substitute assignments are the holy grail of subbing. Consistent paycheck, same classroom, no daily job hunting.

A 6-week maternity leave assignment can pay $3,600-7,200 depending on your district. That's life-changing money for many subs.

Here's how to actually land them.

What Qualifies as "Long-Term"

Short-term: 1-5 days (sick leave, personal days)

Medium-term: 1-4 weeks (minor medical, family leave)

Long-term: 4+ weeks (maternity, sabbatical, extended illness)

The sweet spot: 6-12 week assignments. Long enough for consistent income, short enough that you're not locked in forever.

Why Long-Term Assignments Are Different

Regular subbing:

• Teacher leaves detailed plans
• You follow instructions
• No relationship building needed
• Different class tomorrow

Long-term assignments:

• YOU create lesson plans (usually)
• YOU grade assignments
• YOU do parent communication (sometimes)
• YOU manage classroom long-term

This means: Schools are picky about who they choose for long-term positions.

What Schools Look For

1. Reliability

Did you show up on time for every job? Did you cancel last-minute ever?

2. Competence

Can you actually teach, not just babysit?

3. Relationship Skills

Do students respect you? Do teachers like working with you? Does office staff recommend you?

4. Subject Knowledge

For high school long-term positions especially, you need content expertise.

5. Availability

Can you commit to the full assignment period? They need certainty.

How to Position Yourself

Build your reputation BEFORE you need the long-term:

At each school:

• Leave excellent sub notes (detailed, helpful, professional)
• Go slightly above and beyond (organize the classroom, create an anchor chart)
• Introduce yourself to the principal (briefly, professionally)
• Say yes to tough assignments sometimes (shows you're not cherry-picking)
• Be the sub who makes teachers' lives easier, not harder

The Application Process

Some districts:

• Post long-term positions in Frontline like regular jobs
• First sub to accept gets it (competitive!)

Other districts:

• Invite specific subs to apply
• Interview process
• Require additional credentials

Hybrid approach:

• Posted publicly but with preference for subs already known to the school

Key: Be in the system and have a good reputation before the position posts.

Timing and Availability

When long-term positions post:

• August: Maternity leaves, unexpected resignations
• September-October: More maternity leave (babies conceived during holidays)
• December-January: Medical leaves, sabbaticals starting semester 2
• February-March: Spring maternity leaves, burnout resignations
• April-May: Rare, but end-of-year positions

How much notice:

• Emergency: Same day or next day (rare for long-term)
• Planned: 2-4 weeks advance notice
• Ideal: 6+ weeks notice

Problem: If you're not checking Frontline at the right time, you miss the post.

The Technology Advantage

Here's the reality: Long-term assignments fill FAST.

A 10-week maternity leave position might post and fill within an hour. If you're not actively monitoring Frontline, you'll never even see it.

Old approach:

• Check Frontline multiple times daily
• Hope you happen to be looking when position posts
• Race other subs to accept

Smarter approach:

• Get instant notifications for long-term positions
• Accept within seconds of posting
• Beat the competition consistently

This is where Sub Hero helps. Set filters for long-term assignments (Duration: Multi-day, Days Before: any), get push notifications instantly, accept with one click.

The subs landing the most long-term assignments aren't lucky. They're notified faster and respond faster.

Making the Most of It

Once you land a long-term assignment:

Week 1:

• Learn student names fast
• Establish routines
• Connect with mentor teachers
• Get keys, passwords, resources you need

Ongoing:

• Treat it like it's your classroom
• Build relationships with students
• Communicate with parents professionally
• Network with staff (this leads to more opportunities)

End of assignment:

• Leave the classroom better than you found it
• Thank the principal and office staff
• Ask for a letter of recommendation
• Express interest in future long-term positions

The Path to Full-Time Teaching

Secret: Long-term assignments are often "auditions" for full-time positions.

Many teachers got hired full-time after:

• Doing an excellent job on a long-term assignment
• Building relationships with staff and principal
• Proving they can handle the full job
• Being there when a position opens up

If you want a full-time teaching job, long-term substitute positions are your backdoor in.

Start Landing Better Assignments

Whether you want more consistent income, prefer the stability of long-term work, or are positioning yourself for full-time teaching, you need to catch these opportunities when they appear.

Sub Hero monitors Frontline 24/7: app.getsubhero.com

Filter for multi-day assignments, get notified instantly, accept before other subs even see the posting.

Sub Hero is one option for addressing this. It won't solve everything, but many subs find it helpful for reducing time spent on job hunting.

Plans start at $6.99/month. Landing one long-term assignment pays for a year of the service.