Substitute Teacher Staffing in Kansas
FocusedEDU is a substitute teacher staffing agency for Kansas unified school districts and charter schools. We recruit, clear, and place day-to-day, long-term, and special education substitutes, substitute paraprofessionals, and related-service providers, each holding a KSDE substitute or emergency substitute license backed by KBI and FBI fingerprint checks, with every assignment tracked against the day limit that matches the sub's license.
- 95%
- Day-to-day substitute fill rate at Odyssey Public Charter School
- +40%
- Improvement over the school's previous staffing provider
- 120+
- Roles filled at that one partner school since 2021
- $0
- Fee to hire a long-term sub as your permanent teacher
Roles we help fill
- Day-to-day substitute teachers
- Long-term substitute teachers
- Special education teachers
- Paraprofessionals and 1:1 aides
- School nurses
- Speech-language pathologists
- Occupational and physical therapists
- School psychologists
What Kansas schools need from a substitute partner
Kansas ties every substitute's day limit to the license they hold. A standard substitute license allows 90 days in one assignment; an emergency substitute license holder with a bachelor's degree is limited to 45; and a sub without a degree is limited to 25 days in one assignment and 75 days in a semester. A district that does not track which sub holds which license runs into those lines in the middle of a long leave.
The daily need is the one every district shares: coverage confirmed before first bell, long-term substitutes for leaves and vacancies, and special education substitutes and substitute paraprofessionals who keep IEP services running. In Wichita, the Johnson County districts, Kansas City, Kansas, and Topeka, USDs compete for the same licensed subs every morning.
How FocusedEDU staffs Kansas substitute programs
We record each Kansas substitute's license type and degree status, route standard-license holders to long assignments, and count days per assignment and per semester so no one crosses a limit unnoticed. Every substitute is fingerprinted for the KBI and FBI check KSDE requires before licensure, and our credentialing system tracks each license's expiration. Automated credentialing cuts typical time-to-hire roughly in half.
Our substitutes are paid weekly, every Friday, by direct deposit or Cash App, and they pick up and swap shifts in a mobile app, so your absence reaches the whole vetted pool at once. We work with one client per region, so the subs we recruit for your USD are not presented to the district next door. Every placement is temp-to-perm at no cost. For the rest of the building, see special education staffing, paraprofessional staffing, and related services staffing.
Kansas substitute teacher and clearance requirements
The Kansas State Department of Education issues a standard substitute teaching license, which requires a bachelor's degree and an approved teacher education program, and an emergency substitute teaching license, which requires at least 60 semester hours or, through KSDE's Greenbush route, a high school diploma, the Greenbush training modules, and a district's verification of hire. Day limits follow the license: 90 days in one assignment on the standard license, 45 for emergency license holders with a bachelor's degree, and 25 per assignment and 75 per semester for subs without one. Fingerprints checked by the KBI and FBI are a prerequisite to any license.
Standard and emergency substitute licenses
Each applicant for the standard license submits "An official transcript from an accredited institution verifying the granting of a bachelor's degree; (2) verification from an accredited institution of completion of an approved teacher education program," while "Each applicant for an emergency substitute teaching license shall submit to the state board the following: (1) An official transcript verifying the completion of at least 60 semester hours" (source: K.A.R. 91-1-203). KSDE offers a second emergency route: "If you do not meet the 60-credit requirement, you may qualify by completing the Greenbush Emergency Substitute Training Modules," with a high school diploma and "Verification of hire from a local school district"; that license is "Non-transferable; limited to the school district listed on the license" (source: KSDE, License Information and Applications). On validity, "Each substitute license shall expire on the license holder's fifth birthdate following issuance of the license," and "The first emergency substitute teaching license issued to an individual shall be valid for the school year in which it is issued and shall be issued for all levels" (source: K.A.R. 91-1-201).
Day limits by license
The accreditation regulation sets the limits: "An education system shall not allow a person holding a substitute teaching license or certificate to teach for more than 90 days in the same assignment." "An education system shall not allow a person who holds a baccalaureate degree and an emergency substitute teaching license or certificate to teach for more than 45 days in the same assignment." And no education system may allow "any person who does not hold a baccalaureate degree to teach for more than 25 days in the same assignment or more than 75 days in a semester." For shortages: "If a governing body documents that there is an insufficient supply of substitute teachers, the governing body may appeal to the commissioner for authority to allow individuals holding an emergency substitute teaching license or certificate to continue to teach for an additional length of time" (source: K.A.R. 91-31-34(b)). We count days per assignment and per semester for every Kansas sub and prepare the shortage documentation if your district needs to appeal.
KBI and FBI fingerprinting
Under KSDE's regulation, "the submittal of fingerprints shall be a prerequisite to the issuance of any certificate or license by the state board," and "Fingerprints submitted pursuant to this regulation shall be released by the Kansas state department of education to the Kansas bureau of investigation for the purpose of conducting criminal history records checks, utilizing the files and records of the Kansas bureau of investigation and the federal bureau of investigation" (source: K.A.R. 91-1-214). KSDE adds that "Educators are also enrolled in an ongoing background check while they hold an active Kansas Educator license" (source: KSDE, Fingerprint Information), and state law provides that "The state board of education shall not knowingly issue a license to or renew the license of any person who has been convicted of:" a listed offense (source: K.S.A. 72-2165).
Where we staff in Kansas
We staff substitute programs for unified school districts and charter schools across Kansas, with recruiting built around Wichita and the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro.
That includes Wichita Public Schools (USD 259); Olathe, Blue Valley, and Shawnee Mission in Johnson County; Kansas City Kansas Public Schools; Topeka Public Schools; Lawrence; Manhattan-Ogden; and Salina. Because we work with one client per region, the first district or charter network to sign in a metro gets the substitute pool we build there.
Proof: a 95% day-to-day substitute fill rate at Odyssey
Fill rate is the first number to ask any substitute partner for. Ours comes from an existing client, Odyssey Public Charter School in Wilmington, Delaware, where since 2021 our weekly-pay, app-based substitute model has run a 95% day-to-day fill rate, a 40%+ improvement over the school's previous provider.
Odyssey Public Charter School in Wilmington, Delaware serves more than 1,000 K-8 students drawn from five districts and protects a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. When the agencies already under contract could not fill its open roles, Odyssey brought in FocusedEDU in 2021. Since then we have made 120+ placements across 13+ distinct role types — substitute and certified teachers, SLPs, OTs, PTs, psychologists, reading specialists, one-on-one aides, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and support staff — and day-to-day substitute coverage runs at a 95% fill rate, a 40%+ improvement over the previous provider.
The mechanics behind that number are the same ones we bring to every substitute program: weekly Friday pay by direct deposit or Cash App, a mobile app where vetted subs pick up and swap shifts the moment an absence posts, and a pool recruited for one client's buildings instead of rented to every school in the county. Read the full Odyssey Public Charter School case study.
For substitutes looking for work in Kansas
Substitutes who work with FocusedEDU in Kansas are paid weekly, every Friday, by direct deposit or Cash App, and choose their own shifts in a mobile app. One application puts you in front of the partner schools we staff, and our team walks you through every clearance and credential step.
With 60 college semester hours you qualify for KSDE's emergency substitute license; without them, a high school diploma plus the Greenbush training modules and a district's verification of hire can qualify you. A bachelor's degree and an approved teacher education program qualify you for the standard substitute license and assignments of up to 90 days. Fingerprints for the KBI and FBI check come first, and we arrange them. Browse current openings and apply on our candidates page. Long-term substitutes who prove out in a building can be hired permanently by the school with no conversion fee, which is why a FocusedEDU leave coverage is often the best teaching interview a substitute ever gets.
Need substitute teachers in Kansas?
Start with a free 30-minute discovery call or send your openings by email. Either way we map your absence volume, buildings, and requirements first, then build a substitute pool that serves your schools alone — one client per region, temp-to-perm at no cost.
Book a discovery call or send a staffing request. Prefer to compare first? Read our breakdown of the best substitute teacher staffing agencies for 2026, or go back to substitute teacher staffing for K-12 schools.
Documentation we coordinate for an approved start
The applicable checklist depends on the role, state, and your organization’s requirements.
- KSDE substitute teaching license (bachelor's degree plus an approved teacher education program) or emergency substitute license verified
- Emergency license route documented: 60 semester hours, or a high school diploma plus Greenbush training and a district's verification of hire
- Days per assignment tracked against the license's limit: 90 (standard), 45 (emergency with a degree), or 25 per assignment and 75 per semester (no degree)
- Shortage documentation prepared if your district appeals to the commissioner for more time
- Fingerprints on file with KSDE and checked by the KBI and FBI before licensure
- License expiration tracked, including first-year emergency licenses that end with the school year
- Reference checks with prior schools, including a morning-of reliability history
- Classroom-management screening before the first assignment
“One of the key strengths of Focused Staffing Group is their responsiveness and flexibility. They have always been quick to respond to our staffing needs, often providing suitable candidates at short notice.”
How an engagement works
Free 30-minute discovery call
We map your absence patterns, buildings, bell schedules, and substitute requirements — day-to-day volume, standing long-term leaves, and what your current fill rate actually is. No cost, no obligation.
We source, screen, and credential
We build a substitute pool against your buildings specifically. Every sub is interviewed by us, cleared, reference-checked with prior schools, and screened for classroom management before their first assignment.
You choose from a vetted shortlist
For long-term and building-sub roles, your principals interview fully credentialed candidates and make the call. For daily coverage, only subs who have passed the full screen can see your shifts in the app.
We stay through the placement
We monitor fill rates, rotate out subs your buildings flag, and stay involved for the life of the engagement. Hire any long-term sub permanently at no conversion fee.
Common questions.
What license does a substitute teacher need in Kansas?
A KSDE substitute teaching license, which requires a bachelor's degree and an approved teacher education program, or an emergency substitute teaching license, which requires at least 60 semester hours or, through KSDE's Greenbush route, a high school diploma, the Greenbush training modules, and a district's verification of hire.
How many days can a Kansas substitute stay in one assignment?
Under K.A.R. 91-31-34(b): 90 days on a substitute teaching license, 45 days for an emergency license holder with a bachelor's degree, and 25 days per assignment and 75 days per semester for a substitute without a bachelor's degree. A district that documents a shortage may appeal to the commissioner for more time.
Do Kansas substitutes need fingerprints?
Yes. K.A.R. 91-1-214 makes fingerprints a prerequisite to any KSDE certificate or license, and KSDE releases them to the KBI for criminal history checks against KBI and FBI records. Licensed educators are also enrolled in ongoing background monitoring.
How long is a Kansas emergency substitute license valid?
A first emergency substitute teaching license is valid for the school year in which it is issued. A standard substitute license expires on the holder's fifth birthdate following issuance.
What fill rate can a Kansas district expect?
Fill rates depend on your absence volume and region, so we report yours on a regular cadence rather than quoting one number. Our reference point is an existing client: at Odyssey Public Charter School in Wilmington, Delaware, our model sustains a 95% day-to-day substitute fill rate, a 40%+ improvement over the previous provider.
Need staffing support for hard-to-fill roles?
Contact Focused Staffing Group to discuss your current and upcoming needs — or plan ahead and build a stronger candidate pipeline before openings become emergencies.
Responsive · Compliance-minded · Focused on hard-to-fill roles