Guest Teacher Program
Guest Teacher Program
Dates for the next Guest Teacher Orientation will be coming soon. Please check back.
What is a Guest Teacher?
A Guest Teacher serves as a substitute to replace teachers when they are absent from their classrooms.
Those with PA teaching certificates (or its equivalent from another state) are NOT eligible for the Guest Teacher Program and should directly contact school districts in which a person wishes to substitute. ARIN IU 28 provides Guest Teachers for both member districts and intermediate unit classrooms and is responsible for their recruitment, training, and certification.
The primary requirements for becoming a Guest Teacher in ARIN Intermediate Unit 28 Guest Teacher Consortium are:
- Completion of a Bachelor’s degree program conferred by a regionally accredited college/university (a teaching certificate is NOT required).
- Completion of the Guest Teacher orientation training provided at ARIN IU 28.
- Completion and submission of all required forms.
ARIN Guest Teacher Consortium members for the 2022-23 school year include:
- ARIN IU 28
- Apollo-Ridge
- Armstrong
- Homer-Center
- Indiana Area
- Marion Center Area
- River Valley
- Penns Manor Area
- Purchase Line
- United
All prospective Guest Teachers must submit an application and $35.00 fee. Prospects must also complete the Guest Teacher Orientation. The Orientation is held at ARIN IU28 Central Office at 2895 West Pike Road, Indiana, PA – click here for directions. Orientation will be from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please note that if necessary, this training will be moved to an online format.
A participant must submit a check or money order made out to “ARIN IU 28 Guest Teacher Program” for $35.00 to cover costs related to the program, including the Emergency Permit fee. No cash please. If a check is returned due to insufficient funds, the applicant will be charged an additional $30.00. In the event an applicant is unable to attend the Orientation, the $35.00 check will be returned ONLY by contacting the IU at least 48 hours prior to the date of the orientation.
NOTE: ARIN reserves the right to cancel a scheduled Guest Teacher Orientation if fewer than 10 participants apply by the deadline. In the event of cancellation, all checks/money orders received will be mailed back to the applicants. In the case of inclement weather we may cancel and reschedule the trainings. Please check ARIN's SchoolCast page at HERE prior to driving to the IU.
To apply for the next orientation, click on and print the following documents:
- Guest Teacher - Directions and Checklist (below) includes all items required for program
- Guest Teacher Application (below)
- Official college transcripts requested by the applicant, showing earned bachelor's degree must be mailed and received directly from applicants college in a college-sealed envelope or received electronically from applicants college
Additional requirements to begin working on:
- Act 34 PA State Police Criminal Background Check
- Act 114 FBI Fingerprinting Please use Service Code 1KG6XN when registering.
- Act 151 Child Abuse Clearance
When can an applicant expect to start subbing, following participation in the orientation?
It depends on the following criteria:
- All of an applicant’s clearances and other required forms are submitted to ARIN
- Completed Observations
- Verification of applicant reference checks
- Approval at board meetings by each school district in which an applicant chooses to substitute (Board Meeting dates vary per school district)
- Guest Teachers may be able to begin subbing 2-3 months following orientation (This is dependent on how quickly all documents are returned to us)